The Official Samsung SlimFit HDTV Thread... [Text View]

TIC

06-03-05, 01:53 PM

As I said in the other "slimfit" thread further down the page, theoretically this is the TV for me. I want a new TV that supports HDTV, is widescreen, is 30" or more, is not more than 38" wide, is less than 21" deep and cost under $1000. On paper, the Samsung 30" SlimFit is THE TV!

However, after viewing 4 different units in 4 different stores, I've decided that I can not live with the geometry issue. All 4 units at 4 different stores had the same problem. The geometry issue is easily noticable when viewing 4:3 content with sidebars. The sidebars are wavy and have a pronounced outward curve at both the top and the bottom of the screen. When viewing full width programming it is less noticable, but whenever there is a vertical line on the display, especially near either side, the line will not be straight. It generally shows distinct curves in the line and the line will have a distinct outward curve near the top and/or bottom of the display screen.

This is too bad because Samsung had this exact same issue 2-3 years ago with their initial couple of affordable CRT HDTV ready TVs. You would think that they would have fixed this problem by now.

So, although I love the price and the concept, I'm going to pass on this one. I'll see how the other vendors do with their SlimFit models. Maybe someone will get it right.

Enjoy,

TIC

Vegeta

06-04-05, 08:23 PM

I was SO close to buying this HDTV but after stumbling upon the various threads about it I think I'll pass :rolleyes:

joebxr

06-04-05, 09:35 PM

Got a closer peak of the Samsung SlimFit TV today and realized that this TV is so gorgeous on the outside. How does the picture quality compare with an LG and Sony?
Walter Chan

I think you already answered your own queston previously....
Well, it's common sense to know that Samsung always cannot compete with Sony for picture quality.

AntiguaGuy

06-05-05, 03:05 PM

Kiel

06-05-05, 11:12 PM

That bending in the vertical lines can also be caused by an inadequate power supply.

NeoMaxQ

06-05-05, 11:34 PM

Simply turn your system off, then use the remote and press the following buttons with about .5 to .75 seconds delay between presses: MUTE-1-8-2-POWER

I just got the Slimfit. The vertical lines are not straight. I haven't figured out how to adjust the problem using the service mode. If anyone figure how to fix this problem, please post the results, numbers or instructions on this forum.

Thanks

bruce banner

06-05-05, 11:50 PM

That bending in the vertical lines can also be caused by an inadequate power supply.

Samsung CRTs always had weak power supplies...nothing new here.

xt14

06-06-05, 02:03 AM

I bought one at Sears and set it up a couple of nights ago.

The documentation was kinda scant. There were a couple of cylindrical sleeves packaged with it - about an inch in diameter and an inch and a half tall. Does anybody know what those are for?

those are for your video cables i believe..i'm not quite sure what they are called for whatever reason..but i don't hear of a lot of people using them. Most people have purchased good enough cables that they aren't of much use, when paying for expensive tv's at least.

dracula

06-06-05, 02:01 PM

those are for your video cables i believe..i'm not quite sure what they are called for whatever reason..but i don't hear of a lot of people using them. Most people have purchased good enough cables that they aren't of much use, when paying for expensive tv's at least.
Those are toroids that reduce Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) from any cables to the set that may degrade TV set operation. They could be used on the AC cord and the video cables if necessary.

ml2316

06-06-05, 06:26 PM

seems compelling at $900... if they can get it down to 90 or 80 lbs for the same price, that would be very compelling.

xgrep

06-09-05, 05:27 PM

The price and 16" depth sure attracted my attention on this unit, but after taking a good look at one at Circuit City, decided not to get it.

It's not really possible to judge things like contrast, brightness and color balance on a store model, but it was pretty easy to see things like the dot pitch and geometry aberrations. Honestly, the dot pitch is so coarse, I don't believe this CRT can really show anything better than ED resolution. It was actively annoying, and not just from a close distance. On a blue sky, where mainly the blue phosphor is lit, the vertical lines were easy to see at a comfortable viewing distance of 12'. This would surely drive me nuts. And if I went not far away to look at the image on a 32" LCD, for example, the difference was really noticeable: the LCD was razor sharp as we know good HD can be.

On the geometry, it was exactly as a couple of folks have reported: vertical lines at the sides of the screen are bowed inward (i.e., like an hourglass). Not a big problem for a lot of content, but it's the kind of thing that would really bother me when it's visible, considering that this is supposed to be a HD display. It's simply not.

I'm very disappointed, because if it hadn't been for the truly mediocre PQ, this would really be the solution to a number of my problems. Oh, well. Just have to wait until I can somehow afford one of the many better displays.

x

Sam334

06-09-05, 09:41 PM

I purchased this tv from the CC in Union Square (NYC). I compared the SlimFit to the Sony and thought the Samsung had superior picture quality. I noticed the hd feeds on both tvs (if not all) weren't as clear as they could be. The picture looked so much better when I got it home and hooked up the SA8300HD. I hadn't noticed the vertical bar thing, but I took a REALLY close look and noticed it a tiny bit. The HD channels look great and I'm really satisfied with it. imo, sdtv looked better on this thing than the Sony as well. The sdtv quality on the Sony 30" Wega was significantly fuzzy compared to the SlimFit. Just my $0.02.

xt14

06-09-05, 11:37 PM

yeah, just got this tv, after doing all the good stuff (turning off vsm, and using dve) it has an impressive picture. Yes i imagine the sony will maintain a superior image, but for the price it is very nice, the geometry like most tv's is not perfect, needs a little left or right or whatever, but as far as the vertical line problem i haven't seen a lot of it, but i made the mistake of getting the sanyo, and this set is a big improvment on it in every way. The tuner also does a good job of picking up channels that are pretty far away. I live in ohio and i get a few channels from cincinatti (i live north of dayton, so it gives me this from about 90 miles away, something the sanyo didn't with the same antenna..not sure how that one works, but oh well. That's my small speech of it..a great tv i think..but at the same time..if other companies put out the same thing that ends up being a lot better than this..i'm trading up..great tv..not revolutionary by anything but being smaller, but still a good buy.

xgrep

06-10-05, 01:09 AM

I think you folks have some valid points, mainly that HD content will look very good on this TV, and that, for the price, it's a relative bargain. But I stand by my criticism of the resolution. Case in point: a friend just bought a Panasonic 42" ED plasma unit (I forget the model number, but it's available from places like Vann's for around $1500). He has never had a true HD display, nor a plasma or anything better than good (Sony WEGA) conventional CRTs. Next to those, a 42" plasma ED is an impressive step up. He is totally thrilled. But he doesn't know what he's missing. It is not HD, and the difference is very apparent when you can compare them side-by-side. I'm not talking about color balance or the subjective picture quality stuff, but pure resolution with a true HD source. It's just not there. The next time I have a chance to get close to one, I'll measure the dot pitch, and I can assure you it will probably not be close to any decent XGA computer monitor (never mind an Apple 30" cinema display), whereas a top-quality plasma or LCD has something approaching the 1920x1080 of full 1080i HD (ok, most are around 768 vertical, but still ...).

As far as the vertical bars, I suspect this sort of thing could be adjusted out by a competent technician, but when you see several reports of this, you really have to wonder what kind of quality control they're doing.

I don't know, the price is really excellent, and the picture is good, but when you know what HD can and should look like, it's hard to want to spend anything at all.

x

xgrep

06-10-05, 04:48 PM

OK, I had a chance to measure (approximately) the dot pitch on this TV. There were about 20 blue (or red or green) stripes per inch horizontally. That's a dot pitch of 1.25mm, and a horizontal pixel count of about 525. I don't know what the vertical sync on this TV is, or whether it scales 1080i to some other sync (it may not), but 525 dots horizontal is nowhere near HD, my friends. On a square pixel display, a 16:9 display should have 1920 dots horizontal for 1080i HD, or at least 1280 for 720p. This Samsung TV has a little more than 1/4 that resolution. It's actually less than ED resolution.

A Sony 30" something-or-other was sitting next to it in the store, and while it was hard to measure (because the pitch was so fine), it appeared to be about 36dpi, or a dot pitch of about .73mm. This is not near the pitch of a good computer monitor, and not full HD, either, but considerably better than the slimfit. The picture was visually much sharper, too.

At the high end of the native physical resolution scale, we have monitors like Apple's 30" cinema display, with a dot pitch of .25mm and a native resolution of 2560x1600. At one point, dpiX, a Xerox PARC spinoff, was producing displays (primarily for military and medical applications) with a dot pitch of .085mm (about 300dpi). A wonder to behold.

Good LCD and plasma displays will have true HD native resolution, most closer to the 720p spec, but some getting near the 1080i spec. Obviously, these are not going to sell in the $1000 range for a long time!

So let me finish this rant by being a little more practical: the Samsung product has excellent picture quality if you don't consider the resolution. Its price is fabulous, and its shallow depth is unique in the industry. It's actually a wonderful product. But it's not a HD display any more than an ED TV with an HDTV tuner is.

x

Larry Fletcher

06-11-05, 01:56 PM

so my Best Buy finally got the slimfit in. wow it looks nice. I don't post a lot here but I do a lot of reading . The information you guys provide is great! so i decided to see if I could put what I read to the test. lol!! so I am standing in Best Buy looking at the slimfit next to the other 30inch crts. Low and behold I notice a "bowing" in the middle of the screen. All the tvs had the same program running simutaneously. Whenever a letterbox/graphic (that went all the way across the screen in a straight line) appeared on the bottom, the middle seemed to be curved up just a tad. Where the sony and Toshibas had straight lines all the way across. Now is this a geometry issue with this all of the Samsung slimfit or would it be just for this particular set? Is this easily fixable without having to go into any service menus?

xgrep

06-11-05, 04:31 PM

I believe geometry problems such as what people have reported with this set can and should be fixed through the service menu. Once that's done, and with a good color calibration, I believe that picture quality can be as good as any Sony - not counting the horizontal resolution, of course.

x

vspectra

06-12-05, 07:42 PM

xgrep, if you have seen the LG 30" Flat Tube CRT, how would you compare it's picture quality to the Samsung Slimfit?

Also, does anyone know if the LG brand last long (good quality)?

badasscat

06-12-05, 08:30 PM

A Sony 30" something-or-other was sitting next to it in the store, and while it was hard to measure (because the pitch was so fine), it appeared to be about 36dpi, or a dot pitch of about .73mm. This is not near the pitch of a good computer monitor, and not full HD, either, but considerably better than the slimfit. The picture was visually much sharper, too.

At the high end of the native physical resolution scale, we have monitors like Apple's 30" cinema display, with a dot pitch of .25mm and a native resolution of 2560x1600.

And compare the contrast ratio of that Cinema Display with any CRT. The black level is just not there, despite a much higher price.

You're comparing apples and oranges (no pun intended).

It's no secret that Sony super-fine pitch CRT's have higher resolution than other CRT's. It's also no secret that you pay more for them.

But your "pixel count" is flawed, because for one thing, the size of the stripes varies across a CRT screen, and it's not the sole predictor of resolution anyway. That's why Samsung lists a "maximum resolution" - the resolution is greater towards the center of the screen. You're obviously coming from a digital display world - things don't work the same way with CRT's.

Now, as for perceived sharpness, you're clearly not taking viewing distance into account. A 30" set with 850 lines of maximum resolution when viewed at 5 feet will look approximately the same as a 46" screen with 1200 lines of vertical resolution when viewed at 8 or 9 feet. The perceived sharpness will be the same.

If you're going back again to the Apple Cinema Display (which is not a great HDTV - it has neither the contrast nor the correct aspect ratio), the extra sharpness will not be apparent unless you're sitting at an average viewing distance for a PC - 1 or 2 feet. This is a small screen, remember.

I'll just say that I use a 23" Cinema Display at work (1920x1200 resolution) and when viewing HD material such as Apple's h.264 movie trailers, I don't notice any difference whatsoever in terms of sharpness between it and my 26" Samsung CRT (non-slimfit), except at the extreme edges. I do notice the Cinema Display's lack of true black, though. When you're talking small sizes like this, you've really got to get up close and personal to spot any difference in sharpness, and that's even assuming that nothing was lost in the HD transfer (many HD transfers don't have a full 1920 lines of resolution to begin with) and that nothing else is acting as a bottleneck in the process. For example, someone in another thread measured his cable box (the same one I'm using now) as outputting 1326 lines of resolution on 1080i content - which makes having a full-res screen kind of a moot point regardless of your viewing position.

Now, all this is not to say that a 50" or larger digital monitor displaying pristine 1920x1080 content (and preferably 1080p!) won't look amazing, and sharper and better than any 26" or 30" CRT screen doing the same when viewed from the same distance. But I think your reasoning is a bit flawed. For people whose viewing position dictates a 30" screen (and remember, you pick a screen size based on your viewing distance, not the other way around), they're not going to gain anything by viewing on something like a Cinema Display vs. a CRT except a lighter wallet and poorer black levels.

It's actually a wonderful product. But it's not a HD display any more than an ED TV with an HDTV tuner is.

Then I guess no CRT HDTV's other than the Sony's are HD displays, by your definition. (This is, of course, ignoring that the number of horizontal scan lines is constant - if a set says it's 1080i, then it's got 1080 scan lines. An EDTV, by comparison, will only have 576.)

Figure out the LPI for the Samsung slimfit CRT vs. your average 720p DLP or plasma set at 50" or larger and I think you will find the CRT actually has greater absolute sharpness. (Seriously, do the math yourself based on published specs.) Don't confuse pixel count with resolution or sharpness.

xgrep

06-13-05, 12:04 AM

You make some good points, and I'd like to address some of them, beginning with the last:

Figure out the LPI for the Samsung slimfit CRT vs. your average 720p DLP or plasma set at 50" or larger and I think you will find the CRT actually has greater absolute sharpness. (Seriously, do the math yourself based on published specs.) Don't confuse pixel count with resolution or sharpness.It's true that most plasmas, LCDs, DLPs, etc. have fewer than 1920 dots horizontal, and the perceived image quality is highly dependent on the scaler algorithm and other things, but given any two displays, the one with the higher number of dots has the greater potential for a higher resolution image. There really isn't any getting around that. All of this assumes that the viewer chooses a position such that the set subtends the same angle at the eye. If you tend to sit proportionately closer to a large screen than a small one, then for sure you are going to see each dot taking up more angle on the bigger screen, and it may seem not as sharp.

And compare the contrast ratio of that Cinema Display with any CRT. The black level is just not there, despite a much higher price.Of course, true. No LCD is going to have the contrast and brightness of a CRT or plasma. But if you compare the Slimfit to a plasma with true 1280x728 or, more realistically, to a different CRT with a higher horizontal dot count, the Slimfit is going to be on the inferior end of most resolution measurements and many subjective comparisons.

It's no secret that Sony super-fine pitch CRT's have higher resolution than other CRT's. It's also no secret that you pay more for them.Indeed. Which is why I accept that the Slimfit is an excellent value - as long as you know what you're getting.

But your "pixel count" is flawed, because for one thing, the size of the stripes varies across a CRT screenWhile that may be the case on some CRTs (not all, especially pre-flat screen), I measured the stripes per inch at the same location on the Sony and Slimfit screens. If they are that much off at one location, they are going to be off at all others, as well.

Now, as for perceived sharpness, you're clearly not taking viewing distance into account. A 30" set with 850 lines of maximum resolution when viewed at 5 feet will look approximately the same as a 46" screen with 1200 lines of vertical resolution when viewed at 8 or 9 feet. The perceived sharpness will be the same.I guess I don't follow that. 850 lines horizontal looks the same on displays of any size as long as the angle subtended by the display is the same. As I mentioned above, if you tend to sit proportionately closer to the larger display, then yes, you'll need more lines to get the same perceived resolution.

If you're going back again to the Apple Cinema Display (which is not a great HDTV - it has neither the contrast nor the correct aspect ratio),Again, agreed on the contrast. The aspect ratio on the Apple wide displays is 16:10, not 16:9, but they have greater than 1080 dots vertical, and so can display HD at full resolution, with black bars at top and bottom. Don't forget that the aspect ratio of the display isn't relevant: if it can put the right number of dots up, it doesn't matter if it's a portrait mode display, it's still HD. You just waste a lot of dots that aren't lit if it's not 16:9.

I'll just say that I use a 23" Cinema Display at work (1920x1200 resolution) and when viewing HD material such as Apple's h.264 movie trailers, I don't notice any difference whatsoever in terms of sharpness between it and my 26" Samsung CRT (non-slimfit)I don't dispute your experience, but it sure doesn't match mine. I have a 17" flat panel iMac at home, and several XGA and better CRTs at work, and while the CRTs beat the LCD for contrast and saturation hands down, they can't hold a candle to the flat panel on image sharpness. Again, at a viewing distance where the display subtends the same angle at the eye.

assuming that nothing was lost in the HD transfer (many HD transfers don't have a full 1920 lines of resolution to begin with) and that nothing else is acting as a bottleneck in the process.Point taken. There is probably no content currently available (short of a test pattern, and even then ...) that has true 1920 lines of resolution. But one hopes that some content will be fairly good, and maybe things will improve.

For people whose viewing position dictates a 30" screen (and remember, you pick a screen size based on your viewing distance, not the other way around), they're not going to gain anything by viewing on something like a Cinema Display vs. a CRT except a lighter wallet and poorer black levels.LCD, true, but you could get a plasma or a better CRT. But not for $1000!

Is the Slimfit worth $1000? Hell yes. Is it an excellent HD TV? Questionable.

if a set says it's 1080i, then it's got 1080 scan lines. An EDTV, by comparison, will only have 576.)Fair enough, I concede that point.

x

iLuveKetchup

06-14-05, 08:09 PM

Im looking for an HDTV and the slimfit happens to be one of my choices. The others are the Samsung LN-R328W 32" LCD and the Samsung HL-R4266W 42" DLP. The main use for this HDTV is for gaming (xbox360/ps3..). What attracts me the most about the Slimfit is that its 1) a CRT and 2) its price. Ive been reading posts in regards to its picture quality. Should I be concerned of the slimfit's shortcomings in terms of gaming? Does the LCD and DLP options above dignify a $2200 hit from my pocket, when all its going to be used for is gaming?? Thanks in advance!

xgrep

06-14-05, 11:46 PM

The main use for this HDTV is for gaming (xbox360/ps3..). [...] Does the LCD and DLP options above dignify a $2200 hit from my pocket, when all its going to be used for is gaming?? Thanks in advance!Well, you said it, I didn't :-). That is, I don't personally know how important HD image resolution is to gamers as compared with other characteristics, like contrast, dot trails, viewing angle, etc., but if "all it's going to be used for is gaming", in my opinion the Samsung Slimfit may be one of the best values you're ever going to see. Assuming it's reasonably reliable, of course, and as a new product, there's not much data on that, yet.

x

andyd2k

06-16-05, 10:21 AM

Question for those who actually did buy the tv...

what stand did you buy to go along with the tv? I was looking at Samsung's site yesterday and it doesn't seem like there is an official one.

mykodee

06-16-05, 10:50 AM

Bought a slimfit last night and had a chance to watch an OTA HD rerun of Lost.

On some scenes there was a distinctly visible white/red vertical line on the right hand side of the screen. It looked to be about one or two pixels wide on the right edge. The line appeared during dark scenes where there was a single point of bright light (like the nighttime campfires on the beach). Also, I must repeat the geometry complaints found elsewhere on this thread...during the kitchen scene where Kate was talking to the Australian farmer, each and every vertical line of the cupboards was curved near the top of the screen. When watching the local news after Lost, the horizontal text banners near the top and bottom of the screen either curved up on the sides (top) or curved down (bottom). Fishbowl. During the scrolling credits, you could see the words morph when they traveled through the left center of the screen.

This observed from about a 12 foot viewing distance.

Thought this would be an relatively inexpensive widescreen/HDTV solution for a small space, but it is not.

andyd2k

06-16-05, 01:36 PM

note that I don't know much about hdtvs...

I just find it hard to believe that a company would release a tv with the geometry issues that you're referring to. Could it be that it just needs to be properly calibrated or is this something you're stuck with if you do buy the tv?

xgrep

06-16-05, 01:44 PM

Having not looked extremely closely at too many HD CRTs, I don't honestly know if the Samsung Slimfit has worse geometry problems than others. It may not. And, while I don't know, I would bet that it can be adjusted for correct geometry that will last at least for a while (though it would be nice if it didn't have to be).

We shouldn't be too hard on this set. In fact:

1. It's fully HD capable (resolution aside)
2. It's a fabulously slim set
3. Picture quality is generally very good (resolution and geometry aside)
4. It's only $900!

My only real issue is the resolution, and it is not alone in that department.

x

lendl1

06-16-05, 09:55 PM

I've had the tv for approximately 3 weeks with great results (no geometry issues). However, just recently the tv has a buzzing sound coming from the back. Some days it is very low others it is relatively noticeable. Anyone else have this same problem? Is it something to worry about?

Thanks
Steve

xgrep

06-16-05, 10:05 PM

Most likely nothing to worry about, as it's probably either a CRT yoke or transformer with a winding that wasn't perfectly glued. Unfortunately, it can be very annoying, and it's a real nuisance deciding whether to do anything about it under warranty. Being a geek, I would probably leave it alone and, at some point far enough into the warranty period, open it up and drop some transformer epoxy on the sucker. For non-geeks, the other options are to live with it (if you can and it doesn't get worse, which it often does) or get it taken care of very soon. For what it's worth, every TV I've ever owned has done this to some extent.

By the way, very high voltages are inside color sets, even many hours after they've been turned off. Don't play technician if you don't regularly do this stuff, or you will need to make sure your life insurance is paid up, and know that your survivors will enjoy the set.

x

lendl1

06-17-05, 10:15 PM

Thanks for the reply. I'll hang tight for now.

flexible

06-19-05, 03:02 PM

I purchased the Slimfit at BestBuy last Sunday night. They did not have any in stock in Atlanta. They found one in Macon and had it shuttled up for delivery this past Friday.

The delivery guys set it up and powered it up. I immediately noticed big purple blobs in the lower right and upper left corners. I nearly had them put it back in the box. After discussing on the phone with BestBuy on what would be best to do in this need-to-return-or-exchange situation and annotating the problem on the delivery forms, I let the guys leave. After all, I had no working TV (the former TV was fried), and the supply on this model seems a bit constrained if BestBuy had none in Atlanta.

I decided that what I was seeing (purple blobs) was similar to what you would sometimes see computer monitors that would be easily cured by using the "degaussing" button on computer displays. I checked the doc (and, I agree with others that the doc that accompanies this set is scant) looking to see if there was any kind of degaussing button. Finding none, I looked through the menus. I found a "reset" in one of the picture related menus, but it did nothing for the problem.

Since I really wanted to avoid having to return/exchange this new set, I decided to try calling Samsung Friday evening. Amazingly, I got a rep with a reasonable suggestion. Unplug it for 30 seconds. I did so, and it worked. Purple blobs gone. (Ashamed I didn't think of that myself. My mind was clouded with the disappointment of not having perfection out of the box.)

This TV is a big step up for me. I don't have any HDTV reception capability yet (I am probably going wih the CM9228 antenna I see referenced in the Atlanta area theads.) . I have Dishnet satellite currently feeding SVideo to the set.

I also have a DVD player that has component progressive scan capability that I hooked up to one of the component hookups on the Slimfit. I threw in the Spiderman DVD and the quality of the picture blew me away. Very nice.

I'm not sure I am satisfied yet, but I cannot say I am disappointed either. I am not as discriminating as others here may be since this my first digital television. I like the ability to switch the display to the different picture settings (4:3, 16:9, Movie, Panorama).

The panorma setting is curious to me. I suppose this is Samsung's method of dealing with distortion when you stretch a 4:3 to a 16:9 setting.

TWinbrook46636

06-19-05, 04:56 PM

I just find it hard to believe that a company would release a tv with the geometry issues that you're referring to.

Believe it. It is really bad. Anything with a straight line appeared bent or wavy on the two sets I have seen. I'm hoping the upcoming LG set is better but I'm discouraged now.

iLuveKetchup

06-19-05, 06:43 PM

Please pardon my ignorance. As I stated on an earlier post, I'm looking into the Slimfit as a gaming TV. My input signal's resolution (via components) will be 720p (from xbox360). Since the Slimfit's native resolution is 480p (please correct me if I'm wrong), does that mean the 720p signal will be scaled down to 480p? And if so, how much does downscaling a signal affect picture quality? Will a HDTV with a native resolution of 1366x768 (i.e. Samsung's LCD) be that much better in picture quality (since the 720p signal will be a 1to1 pixel match)? Thank you

flexible

06-19-05, 06:45 PM

This TV is a big step up for me. I don't have any HDTV reception capability yet (I am probably going wih the CM9228 antenna I see referenced in the Atlanta area theads.) .

I managed get a view of most the Atlanta DTV stations this afternoon by using an older OTA antenna that is still up on the roof. The quality is fantastic. Again, the HD stuff is new to me. But it looked gorgeous on the slimfit.

wbarrett56

06-19-05, 08:54 PM

Played with the Service Mode and a Video Essentials DVD this afternoon and got the distortions corrected completely on my set.

Played with the following adjustments in the "Deflection" menu:

V-AMP
V-SHIFT
H-AMP
H-SHIFT
UP-LIN
LOW-LIN
H-PAR
UP-COR
LOW-COR
H-TRA
BOW
ANGLE
V-POSITION
UP UCG
LO UCG

The vertical bowing was most noticeable on my set when looking at 4:3 material.

When I was in Component 1 mode from the DVD in service mode, the screen always defaulted to 16:9. It made the adjustment process somewhat annoying. I would adjust then go back into regular mode from service mode to see what it *really* looked like.

I found adjusting each data item by 10 or 15% max and adjusting no more than three at a time yielded the best result for me.

===
Bill

buc18

06-20-05, 11:41 AM

Bill.....
I just got this tv Saturday night to put in my bedroom and I was rather disappointed with the geometry on the set. But if I can adjust it out via the service menu then I will be much happier. I do not have Video Essentials (just Avia), so I dont know exactly how to attack this problem. Any suggestions?

xgrep

06-20-05, 11:54 AM

Thanks, flexible, for the great report, and also for the tip on being able to invoke a degauss by unplugging/replugging! And thanks, Bill, for confirming that the geometry can be completely corrected. As I mentioned, it would be nice if these left the factory perfectly calibrated (and stayed that way), but at this price point, you're already getting a lot for your money. Sony's don't come perfectly calibrated, and you can easily spend 3 times as much.

I think this set is going to be a big success in the market for which it's intended: people who are stepping up to HD from conventional TV but are not looking to spend $4K. It has everything you'd want - price, size, built-in tuner, lots of inputs, and far better than conventional quality picture.

x

Phunktify

06-20-05, 12:55 PM

Hey buc18, I just got a slim fit too and am dissapointed in the geometry. I called Samsung and they had a licensed technician call me. He'll be coming tomorrow so I'll report back to let people know if he was able to fix it.

Essentially, when I got the TV I noticed a "bowing" upwards of horizontal lines across the bottom quarter of the screen. I also noticed that vertical lines in addition to horizontal lines across the top seems wavy. CNN was unwatchable. THe new ticker was warped, and the grey sidewars weren't straight. I did some of my own tweeking of the geometry in the system menu, and reduced the Velocity Scan Modulation and the redness and managed to straighten out the geometry somewhat. However, it really annoys me that whenever I adjust volume ont eh TV for example, the little menu bar pops up and is warped slightly in the middle. There are simply no adjustments in the deflection menu, or anywhere else, to correct this problem. I hope the technician can work some magic tomorrow, otherwise, I'll be returning this TV. In fact, I'm off to BB and CC as we speak to do something I should have done before SHOP FOR TVS WITH MY OWN EYES.

flexible

06-20-05, 01:20 PM

I think this set is going to be a big success in the market for which it's intended: people who are stepping up to HD from conventional TV but are not looking to spend $4K. It has everything you'd want - price, size, built-in tuner, lots of inputs, and far better than conventional quality picture.

You described my sentiments and thinking precisely. If you are stepping up, as I am, then this seems an excellent option thus far.

buc18

06-20-05, 06:49 PM

dracula

06-20-05, 09:18 PM

Anybody using the HDMI input on the SlimFit? If yes, with what HD receiver?

With all the new users, it is time for a new poll.

jaymst

06-20-05, 10:42 PM

Just bought this set today and I am impressed so far. I bought a Terk $40 indoor antenna and I am getting all channels within 30 miles in HD (6-7). Iwould like to adjust the color and I don't have one of those dvd's that help get it just right. If anyone has adjusted their set and has it right, it would be great if you would post the settings. This is a very good value unless something unexpected comes up. Based on what I have seen so far...I would recommend this set.

J in NC

xgrep

06-20-05, 11:24 PM

My input signal's resolution (via components) will be 720p (from xbox360). Since the Slimfit's native resolution is 480p (please correct me if I'm wrong), does that mean the 720p signal will be scaled down to 480p?I'm not sure where you got the idea that the signal would be scaled to 480p (hope it wasn't anything I wrote), but that's not true. 480p is a vertical resolution spec (precisely, it's the number and mechanism of displaying scan lines), and the Slimfit can do true 720p and 1080i vertical. The issue with this set is that the horizontal resolution does not match the vertical, being only on the order of 500 lines (or "dots") across the entire width of the screen. But your game console signal will not be scaled as far as the vertical resolution is concerned.

Will a HDTV with a native resolution of 1366x768 (i.e. Samsung's LCD) be that much better in picture quality (since the 720p signal will be a 1to1 pixel match)?The 1366x768 display will have far better horizontal resolution than the Slimfit, and this will be visible on some material, but remember that gaming involves a lot of high-speed action, and, subjectively, the human eye will be much less sensitive to resolution under these conditions. My best guess is that you'd be able to see the difference if you're looking, but that it wouldn't bother you in the least during actual play.

x

Cidrick

06-21-05, 12:51 AM

Has anyone had any problems with the optical audio-out on their SlimFit? I have the my optical audio cable hooked up through the SlimFit's audio-out to the port on my receiver, but my receiver's not picking up anything, no matter what source I use.

I also seem to have an issue with ANY sort of audio-out using component. I hooked up my XBox to Component Input 1, and double-checked all the connections, but the monitor-out isn't sending a signal to my receiver. The funny thing is, everything else works, and if I hook my XBox up to an S-Video or Composite input, the monitor-out works just fine.

This is bizzarre. I'm going to have to call Samsung about this.

xgrep

06-21-05, 12:16 PM

Just curious, do you know for a fact that the optical audio input on your receiver works?

x

mnavarro

06-21-05, 03:25 PM

I purchased the slimfit and the picture is pretty good equivalent to other TVs in it's class. The 34" sony wega with the super fine pitch is sharper and better but it's over 1000 dollars more and is about 250 pounds. The color does suck coming from the unit out of the box. I ended up taking the dynamic mode, and scaling the red a tiny bit back and the brightness a bit back. This seemed to work much better than the other settings.

My choice was a good all around display from 26-32 inch displays. The LCD where good but not great for blackness and the better ones were a lot more expensive. This seem to be a good inexpensive compromise. I got these magnet things, looks like shielding for something but I don't have a clue.

iLuveKetchup

06-21-05, 05:42 PM

I'm not sure where you got the idea that the signal would be scaled to 480p (hope it wasn't anything I wrote), but that's not true. 480p is a vertical resolution spec (precisely, it's the number and mechanism of displaying scan lines), and the Slimfit can do true 720p and 1080i vertical. The issue with this set is that the horizontal resolution does not match the vertical, being only on the order of 500 lines (or "dots") across the entire width of the screen. But your game console signal will not be scaled as far as the vertical resolution is concerned.

The 1366x768 display will have far better horizontal resolution than the Slimfit, and this will be visible on some material, but remember that gaming involves a lot of high-speed action, and, subjectively, the human eye will be much less sensitive to resolution under these conditions. My best guess is that you'd be able to see the difference if you're looking, but that it wouldn't bother you in the least during actual play.

x
Thank you sir! You answered all my questions :)

Cidrick

06-21-05, 10:33 PM

Just curious, do you know for a fact that the optical audio input on your receiver works?

x

Yep. I used the same cable to connect the optical-out on my PS2 to the optical audio input on my receiver and it works fine and dandy.

cblackstone

06-22-05, 01:45 PM

Hey buc18, I just got a slim fit too and am dissapointed in the geometry. I called Samsung and they had a licensed technician call me. He'll be coming tomorrow so I'll report back to let people know if he was able to fix it.

Hey Phunktify, did the technician make his visit yet? If so, any news to report? I've had a Slim-Fit for about a month now and I haven't noticed any problems, but I have a feeling that's cause I don't know what to look for. I do know, though, that the picture is significantly better after calibrating using the Sound & Vision and DVE DVDs.

I've thought about getting the set calibrated by someone ISF-certified, but the quote for $400 scared me off.

buc18

06-22-05, 07:01 PM

I've gone into the service menu to look around but I wasn't able to figure out how to kill the velocity scan modulation and reduce redness. Don't know about fixing geometry in the SM either.

mhoak

06-23-05, 10:20 AM

I have had my Slimfit for about a week now. Overall, I am very pleased with it. The HD and digital channels from the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD box (Cox Cable) look great. Standard analog channels largely look like crap, but I expected that. I have the cable box hooked up via a component cable, but will soon be switching to HDMI.

The problem I have is with my Xbox. I have the Microsoft HD pack which uses a component connection. The games look great. I fired up Halo 2 and the picture is clear and very nice. However, the video output from the Xbox DVD player looks bad. I can see plenty of noise and artificating. The Xbox dashboard also looks like crap, which makes no sense because that should be 480p based on my settings.

Don't get me wrong, I did not expect the Xbox DVD player to blow me away. To make sure it was not my Xbox or the cables, I hooked up my 3 year old Panasonic non-progressive scan DVD player to the same component connection using a Blue Jeans cable and it too looked bad. Is this because both players are not progressive scans?

I'm hoping that the DVD player on the Xbox holds me over until Xbox 360 comes out (which is definately progressive scan). However, the image quality drves me bananas.

Does anyone have any ideas? This is my first HDTV, so this is all relatively new to me. With my old TV, DVD was the only thing that didn't look bad. Now it is the one thing that does.

cblackstone

06-23-05, 10:29 AM

I have noticed that on my slimfit DVD picture quality is impacted much more by the TV picture settings than a regular TV signal is. Try and set the picture using one of the calibration DVDs that are available on the market.

Have you tried the other component video input on your TV to see if maybe there is a problem with 1 of the inputs on your tv?

mhoak

06-23-05, 10:50 AM

I have an Avia disk on the way from Amazon. I'm also going to try the other component video connection tonight to see if there is an issue with that connection.

briankmonkey

06-23-05, 11:41 AM

While in 4:3 mode you get very light gray bars on this set (30") samsung slimfit is there a way to make the bars black instead of the light gray.. On my Hitachi RP set I can choose black or gray, please let me know if it is possible to do so on this set.. Please explain where to find the feature if it is possible. Thanks.

dracula

06-23-05, 02:11 PM

mhoak

06-23-05, 03:40 PM

dracula

06-24-05, 01:20 PM

The HDMI connection worked like a charm for me. There are several things to be wary of however. For one, not all cable systems have pushed out software that support the HDMI output in the 8300hd. You'll have to check with your cable provider. Also, I did a test to see the difference between component and HDMI (the difference was miniminal by the way). When I tried to go back to HDMI, the box kept component as its default, so I had to unplug and reboot the box. So far, I'm happy with the HDMI connection and the 8300hd. I just want to get my DVD issue resolved.

My Cox cable SA8300HD outputs the video and audio signals on the HDMI interface. The problem is that the SlimFit does not handshake properly the HDCP protocol with the SA8300HD to keep receiving the HDMI signal after a TV shutdown.

Try this: keeping the SlimFit selected at the HDMI interface, shut down the TV, wait 5 minutes and power up the TV again.

Is the HDMI interface active or do you get the HDCP error message on the component video line?

What do you mean "the box kept component as its default"?

Cidrick

06-25-05, 04:31 PM

So I spoke with a Samsung technical representative today (finally) and I made a shocking discovery:

The AV-Out jack on the back of the TV ONLY works if you're passing it an analog signal. Anything hooked up to the TV through component will not pass the incoming audio signal to the audio-out jacks in the back. Similarly, the optical-out ONLY works if you're passing it a digital HDTV signal.

This is seriously crappy design. Every other TV I've used sends all audio signals out through the AV-out, not just whichever one it feels like. I'm just going to have to get a switcher and hook all my consoles up to that, and send the audio-out from that to my receiver.

mukdweller

06-25-05, 08:26 PM

andyd2k

06-26-05, 10:28 AM

For those that did buy this TV, what stand did you get with it?

JeffinFL

06-26-05, 01:39 PM

I purchased this TV about 3 weeks ago because of the cabinet design. The "Slim" look is very living room decor friendly. However, I recently returned it and exchanged it for a 30" Sony Wega (same price at Circuit City). I noticed within a couple of days of owning the Samsung that the screen bowed considerably at the bottom of the display. The bow extended up the screen at the center about 4 inches. This was very noticeable when watching anything with a ticker or words at the bottom of the screen or when performing any video calibration adjustments. I also noticed that the picture became very blurry at the extreme corners of the screen and no service menu adjustment could fix either of these problems and they seemed to get worse over the course of three weeks. I had planned on returning this model and exchanging it for the same type, but I noticed the one on the showroom floor was doing the exact same thing. If you can live with the screen distortion the High Definition picture on this set is very good and the TV has more than enough video inputs for most people...not to mention the "Slim Fit" design is easy on the eyes. Note: The 30” HD Sony Wega does not have any of these problems and is the same price, but is much more bulky.
**Note: Circuit City would not allow me to post this feedback on their website (even though I purchased this set at CC. I guess it might affect sells for this model? Interestingly the feedback that they did authorize from other purchasers gave this TV a perfect review...hmmm??

SmittS

06-27-05, 02:52 PM

I bought the set and have small bowing issues on the sides of the screen when viewing 4:3 content, and it is starting to drive me batty. If anybody could fill me in on how to correct this in the service menu I would be extremely grateful. I've viewed several HD movies and played a couple XBox games in HD and absolutely love the HD PQ, but the 4:3 problem is getting on my last nerve and making me consider returning it for the 30" Sony Wega, which happened to increase to $950, same as the Slimfit increased.

xgrep

06-27-05, 02:59 PM

I bought the set and have small bowing issues on the sides of the screen when viewing 4:3 content, and it is starting to drive me batty.I wonder if people aren't just noticing the problem more because it has been pointed out so often in this thread. Is it possible that most sets have geometry problems that just haven't been reported as much? We have a 22-yr-old Grundig that has been perfect from day one, and a 7-yr-old Mitsubishi that has had minor geometry problems from day one.

Aside from that, it would be great if vendors would make good on their promises on these sets by having them correctly calibrated, but obviously, they would as soon give you your money back and resell them (as refurbished?).

Anyway, if you can't get the store to take care of it, you can always pay for a calibration, which I'm reasonably sure would fix it fine.

x

buc18

06-27-05, 08:55 PM

Phunktify............
did the tech ever come by to look at your set? What were the results?

Albis

06-27-05, 09:23 PM

Does this TV have an option to tell you if the image on your screen is 480i / 480p / 1080i?

cdlafl

06-28-05, 09:25 AM

Does this TV have an option to tell you if the image on your screen is 480i / 480p / 1080i?

I bought the set on memorial day. the image displayed is always 1080i since that is the native resolution. however, the only time you are actually watching a true 1080i image is when you are viewing an hd source, either from OTA or STB. if your dvd player, game system or STB is sending a 480i/480p signal to the tv, then this signal will be upconverted by the tv to 1080i...obviously, you will see the difference between 480i/480p and true 1080i or 720p upconvert.

for what its worth, the tv has impressed me. i haven't had geometry problems at all, although I did have to properly center the picture using the service menu.

Phunktify

06-30-05, 01:30 AM

The technician came but didn't have the manual with him (apparently the woman who took my call didn't udnerstand my problem). Anyway, he's do back sometime in the next week so I'll keep you posted.

Congee

07-03-05, 09:22 AM

Like many others, I've been looking for a relatively "slim" HDTV w/tuner but didn't want to spend the money on a plasma yet. I saw the SlimFit at BestBuy 2 weeks ago and immediately knew this would be perfect for my home. My living room isn't too deep but it is wide so I needed something that can accomodate all viewing angles (the DLP's or rear projections just doesn't cut it for me). Also, I couldn't get a large CRT since the it would take up a good third of my living room.

For the price, I don't think I could find anything better since I want to watch my sport games on HDTV as well. I'm hoping this can fit my needs for the next two or three years while Plasma prices drop (hopefully) and eventually get one of those to replace this. I think I can live with the some of the slight geometry issues for now and

I ordered my from Best Buy (price matched with Circuit City) last week but they said it is unavailable until the July 22nd. I do have a few questions though and was hoping someone from the thread can help:

1) Does anyone have a good stand to recommend? Since I bought the TV for the "slim" feature, I would like a stand that can accomodate the same (16 inches depth) and wide enough for the TV? I don't think this is a common size so haven't had any luck so far in finding something like this (not to mention to be able to support the weight [120lbs!])

2) Someone mentioned to me that although this TV has an HDTV Tuner built-in, I still would not be able to pick up OTA signals right out of the box. Is this true? I may have been mislead by the salesperson when they told me that I can watch HD signals right out of the box without any further investments (an HD antenna or something?!?!)

Thanks in advance.

RCbridge

07-03-05, 11:00 AM

About the weight of the set, the majority of weight of any CRT is in the glass so even this slim design will be heavy, until they come up with a lightweight tube you will have a heavy set!!
Quote {2) Someone mentioned to me that although this TV has an HDTV Tuner built-in, I still would not be able to pick up OTA signals right out of the box. Is this true? I may have been mislead by the salesperson when they told me that I can watch HD signals right out of the box without any further investments (an HD antenna or something?!?!)

Thanks in advance. }

Most TV tuners need at least a scan to see what's out there so getting stations out of the box isn't going to happen!!
You still need an antenna!

Petteri

07-03-05, 11:53 AM

All you should need is a set-top antenna to get a signal with this set. Your locals may broadcast on VHF or UHF so that will determin what antenna you need. I think this set has a built-in signal strenght meter...

buc18

07-03-05, 04:45 PM

If I have calibrated with Avia on my dvd player with component cables, then what is the best way to calibrate the HD signal that I am receiving via a set top antenna? Can I just transfer the settings that I have acheived thru component over to the HD side and it will suffice?

Also, what is the setting in the service menu that people are using to eliminate the red push? I would like to see some other peoples settings with the Slimfit. Anyone care to share?

justsc

07-03-05, 04:59 PM

...the image displayed is always 1080i since that is the native resolution. however, the only time you are actually watching a true 1080i image is when you are viewing an hd source, either from OTA or STB. if your dvd player, game system or STB is sending a 480i/480p signal to the tv, then this signal will be upconverted by the tv to 1080i...obviously, you will see the difference between 480i/480p and true 1080i or 720p upconvert....
All Samsung HD tube sets have two native resolutions, 480p & 1080i. DVDs played with this set can, and probably should, be displayed in 480p, the "native resolution" of the disc, as well as the tv. Incoming SD signals are automatically reformatted to 480p depending on your selections. Not all signals are converted to 1080i.

Vegeta

07-04-05, 07:48 AM

Every CRT HDTV I've seen only does 480p (31.5kHz) and 1080i (33.8kHz) as their native resolutions.

I believe only a 720p (45.0kHz) signal is upconverted to 1080i, not 480i or 480p

justsc

07-04-05, 12:08 PM

...Someone mentioned to me that although this TV has an HDTV Tuner built-in, I still would not be able to pick up OTA signals right out of the box. Is this true? I may have been mislead by the salesperson when they told me that I can watch HD signals right out of the box without any further investments (an HD antenna or something?!?!)...
Congee,

Just like with the old tv's, you still need an antenna. That may not have been mentioned because it's fairly basic, and the salesperson may have assumed you had one.

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but go to http://www.antennaweb.org, enter the required fields, and you'll see which digital stations you can pick-up with an antenna from your location.

Cheers! :)

Kal-El

07-04-05, 08:28 PM

The Samsung SlimFit HDTV could play PAL DVDs?

xgrep

07-04-05, 10:53 PM

Probably not, but you never know.

It will definitely not play them using the composite video or s-video inputs, but it might on the component or hdmi inputs. There wasn't any detail in the user's manual that said yes or no, but the mains voltage is specified as 110-120VAC 50/60Hz, so you never know.

But I has a similar question when I was interested in the Sharp Aquos TV, and as nobody could tell me, I ended up testing it at a dealer with both a PAL VCR and a PAL DVD player. Interestingly, the 30" and 37" models would not play PAL, but a smaller one (I forget which) did!

But that's Sharp and this is Samsung, which may be significant, since my Samsung DVD player (manufactured for and sold in the US) plays PAL DVDs (as long as the region code is 0 or 1, of course).

So, again, probably not, but short of someone who as actually tried it (or a call or email to Samsung support), there's no way to know for sure.

x

Kal-El

07-05-05, 08:09 PM

Noone tried PAL DVDs on this TV?

DJBS77

07-05-05, 08:11 PM

Kal-El

07-05-05, 08:16 PM

----

bgall

07-06-05, 01:06 AM

I got my self a Samsung TXR-26" TV. It's not the slimfit, but the model line is the same so rather than start a new thread I was hoping I could get some assistance fixing some of the things that have been talked about in here.

Has anyone gotten comfortable with the service menu and could help me fix a couple things?

-First thing is the geometry/push that's in the bottom right corner.

-And the second thing I'd like to do is reduce the overscan.

-Then I guess whatever picture settings can be taken

justsc

07-06-05, 02:24 AM

Has anyone who purchased this television also purchased an upconvert DVD player. I just purchased a Denon DVD-1910 to go along with this TV, and I can see no difference between my non progressive scan sony and this DVD player hooked up via HDMI though DVI on DVD player. Just wondering so I can decide whether to return it. Also, Does anyone think that upconverting is worth doing now or waiting a couple of years to get a high def DVD player when they are more affordable. Thanks.

I am happy with my purchase of this TV. THe over the air broadcasts are incredible when they come in.
Not with this set, but I did get an upconversion player with my Sony HD set. Not only was it not better than a standard PS player, but the PQ was actually worse. I'm sticking with my current player over component cables until the "real" HD DVD players come out.

modr0010

07-06-05, 08:54 AM

The technician came but didn't have the manual with him (apparently the woman who took my call didn't udnerstand my problem). Anyway, he's do back sometime in the next week so I'll keep you posted.

Did the technician tune your TV to any success? I recently purchased the TV and made the cardinal sin of messing with the service menu without writing down the factory settings. Can you or anyone share your Geometry settings with me? I would like to take an average of people's settings to try and get a good grasp of where my TV was before I started messing with it. I'm a dumb ass. I have a tech coming this Friday also, I'll let people know how that goes. Any Geometry setting would be greatly appreciated though. (H-AMP, H-SHIFT, etc...) Thanks to anyone that could throw me a bone here.

justsc

07-06-05, 12:14 PM

Did the technician tune your TV to any success? I recently purchased the TV and made the cardinal sin of messing with the service menu without writing down the factory settings. Can you or anyone share your Geometry settings with me? I would like to take an average of people's settings to try and get a good grasp of where my TV was before I started messing with it. I'm a dumb ass. I have a tech coming this Friday also, I'll let people know how that goes. Any Geometry setting would be greatly appreciated though. (H-AMP, H-SHIFT, etc...) Thanks to anyone that could throw me a bone here.
modr0010,

You're in a tough spot. FWIW, I am sharing the full SM settings for a previous Samsung 30" widescreen set. The SM may be a little different but you'll get the drift.

Good Luck! http://www.streamsofdata.com/hdtv/txn3075whf/index.html

Phunktify

07-06-05, 12:35 PM

Well....the technician has never called me back. He was apparently waiting for something from Samsung. I am selling the TV to a friend and am going to get the Sony KD30XS955. It's a bit more money, but I really want a TV I can enjoy.

bgall

07-06-05, 12:40 PM

I have Factory Settings for the 26" TXR model, not a slim fit, but pretty new and same line.

Sounds like all you need is the deflection menu:

Deflection Default
V-AMP 33
V-SHIFT 21
H-AMP 34
H-SHIFT 18
V-LIN 5
UP-LIN 0
LOW-LIN 2
V-SC 4
H-PAR 20
UP-COR 39
LOW-COR 35
H-TRA 39
BOW 26
ANGLE 28
V-POSITION 32
Up UC6 0
Lo UC6 0
CXA LEFT BLK 40
CXA RIGHT BLK 25
HDMI_HS_1080i 18
HDMI_HS_720p 18
HDMI_HS_480p 18

modr0010

07-06-05, 05:32 PM

I appreciate your help, I have a list of Retail store TV's to vistit to try and fix my mistake. Does anyone know if a technician will be able to tell if a service menu was tampered with? I'm hoping it doesn't void my warranty. I've definately learned my lesson, hopefully it doesn't get too expensive.

I loved the TV before I started reading this thread. I think I could have lived with the hour glass shape. But I definately saw the exact same things other people saw, an hour glass shape on the sides, and an upwards bow on the bottom of the screen (only noticeable when tickers, lines, or menus are shown).

Does anyone know a good place to purchase the service manual?

dracula

07-06-05, 05:37 PM

Vegeta

07-06-05, 06:02 PM

Just a question to those who own the TV.

Is the picture quality sharp through the component inputs and are the side speakers crap or do they output good sound for in-built speakers?

Is there a big difference between a 480p image and 1080i image on this TV?

How do low resolutions like 240p look?

Also, sitting 6 to 8ft away from the screen, would an individiual notice a difference in the picture quality when comparing the SlimFit to Sony's XBR960?

Phunktify

07-06-05, 07:32 PM

I own this TV but am trading it in for the Sony KD30XS955. The Slim-fit has horrible geometry problems. Lines ont eh screen are badly bowed so that you notice the distortion in any slow moving pan picture. Also, the text is bowed on the bottom, something I've noticed on every single slim fit I've seen in the stores. The Sony fine pitch tube offers far better resolution. The Samsung's vertical phosphorous lines are so far apart at the edges that it almost appears as if the image goes out of focus. The Sony XS series are being discontinued but offer the same tube as the XBR. They are so cheap, I would highly recomend getting one before there all gone. I just bought mine at the BB in NYC and the saleswoman said they only had 3 left. It was $1099 plus tax and delivery, around $1250 all together.

I should add that the geometry in the Sony is perfect. I'm very sensitive of it after staring at my slim fit. I couldn't find any discernible geometry issues in the Sony.

flexible

07-08-05, 01:02 PM

I have had my slimfit for about 5 weeks now. On a few occassions when switching from svideo input (Dishnet satellite receiver) and Antenna mode for OTA HDTV viewing, the sound seems to get out of synch with the picture. I am not yet sure of the exact switching sequence that seems to induce it, but once it starts, I have to power off the set to get things back in synch.

Has anybody else with a slimfit seen anything like this?

flexible

07-08-05, 01:15 PM

I do not see a wattage rating in the tech specs in slimfit manual. Since this is my first all digital television, I was thinking it would probably be a good idea to add a UPS to the mix to smooth out the occassional power sag. (I have had surge protection on all power and cable/satellite inputs always.) I usually use American Power Conversion (APC) units on all of my computer/server equipment. Knowing the wattage would help me size the correct model UPS.

nuno_max

07-10-05, 02:31 PM

I have a Samsung Slimfit.
My tv makes a noise when this turn on. If the volume this below the 10 hear the noise.

Does anybody have this problem?
That is normal?

:rolleyes:

???

SG5

07-11-05, 01:46 PM

I am getting mine tomorrow.I was at CC at Rego Park, the pictures on all the tv were bad but at College Point,queens,It was good.
There is no way you can judge the picture quality from a store when the settings are all mess up and the guality of the signal sent through all the TV's.
I was thinking about getting the same TV.How do you like it so far.Thanks

justsc

07-11-05, 01:57 PM

I have a Samsung Slimfit.
My tv makes a noise when this turn on. If the volume this below the 10 hear the noise.

Does anybody have this problem?
That is normal?

:rolleyes:

???
nuno_max:

Samsung has traditionally included a "melody" when turning on their sets. It's for when you use the option to have the set turn-on at a prescribed time to wake you up. There is a way to disable this. On my older Samsung set it's in the Sound settings, and is called Melody. If you have this setting, just turn it off.

Hope this helps. :)

bocmir

07-11-05, 02:03 PM

nuno_max:

Samsung has traditionally included a "melody" when turning on their sets. It's for when you use the option to have the set turn-on at a prescribed time to wake you up. There is a way to disable this. On my older Samsung set it's in the Sound settings, and is called Melody. If you have this setting, just turn it off.

Hope this helps. :)
On the newer TVs, it has to be disabled through the service menu for some reason. It's under Video 1, the entry is called Melody; change the value all the down to 0 to turn it off completely.

donkeysk

07-11-05, 04:17 PM

these geometry issues are strange...i've seen a total of 5 of these sets. none of them have had any geometry problems. at all. i bought one about 5 weeks ago. geometry was perfect. my work (game developer) bought 2 for here. no geometry problems and everyone loves it (you could say there's some video/pq nerds here). the 2 i've seen at Best Buy in Seattle (where i bought mine) had no geometry issues at all either. must be some bad batch you guys are getting. if you're looking into one of these, i highly recommend it. go take a look at them somewhere. i bought this to hold me over a few years until 1080p is more saturated. easily the best deal going

xgrep

07-11-05, 04:28 PM

these geometry issues are strange...i've seen a total of 5 of these sets. none of them have had any geometry problems.This is really good to hear. Perhaps the problems reported here were the exception, or perhaps there were some spotty QC problems that have been ironed out. The set is really a good product, and there's no reason (or excuse) for shipping units that haven't been adequately corrected.

The resolution, on the other hand, is a whole 'nother story, and that's what kept it from being a choice for me.

x

Phunktify

07-11-05, 04:40 PM

Well...I'm not sure you know what you are looking for then. I've seen a number of these sets, bought one and sent it back and they ALL have serious geometry issues, most are worse than the basica Samsungs, but to be honest, I think Samsung in general has poor geometry compared to Sony.

I would highly advice against this TV considering how cheap the far superior Sony's are right now unless the external look is all you care about. The resolution is crap, I'd agree, there are also color splotches in the corner which come and go and the phosophorous mask is so coarse that images at the edges almost appear blurry because there is such a marked drop in resolution.

Phunktify

07-11-05, 04:42 PM

Don';t Get It

donkeysk

07-11-05, 04:49 PM

Phunktify- i'm pretty sure you're looking at some bad batch or something. i'm also fairly sure that i know what i'm looking for (i'm a 3d modeler). this is just my EXPERIENCE with 5 different sets. i have got to really checkout 3 very closely and i (nor anyone here) have noticed anything that you're talking about. i'm not saying it doesn't exist. sounds like some people have had similar issues. i'm just not one of them. it's not for lack of seeing or brand loyalty.

"there are also color splotches in the corner which come and go and the phosophorous mask is so coarse that images at the edges almost appear blurry because there is such a marked drop in resolution. "

haven't seen ANYTHING like this. like i said, if you're interested in this set, check it out.
i could of bought a Sony. the PQ looked better on the Samsung. had nothing to do with money.

Phunktify

07-11-05, 04:52 PM

Whatever man...it's you versus 90% of the people that have seen them I've viewed these TVs at multiple stores and they all have teh same problems to greater or lesser extent: bowing of the 4-3 vertical lines and an upward bowing at the bottom 1/4 of the screen. When i owned this TV I tried fixing these problems through the service menu, and even set upa service appointment to no avail. It is simply piss poor geometry. Perhaps the ones you saw were somehow devoid of this. I guess it's possible, but for those interested in this TV, Im trying to warn you, don't get it...if you're annoyed by wavy lines and serious pin distortion in slow moving pannning scenes.

donkeysk

07-11-05, 05:01 PM

donkeysk

07-11-05, 05:02 PM

if i saw this bowing, why wouldn't i say, "it bows"? i don't work for Samsung.

xgrep

07-11-05, 05:12 PM

"the phosophorous mask is so coarse that images at the edges almost appear blurry because there is such a marked drop in resolution."

haven't seen ANYTHING like this.OK, now you're definitely missing something that's in *all* the sets: the horizontal spacing of the phosphor stripes is very wide - far wider than on the Sony sets, and so wide that the effective horizontal resolution is well below SD (I went into a lot of detail with measurements in a previous post). This does indeed have the result that at the sides of the screen, the images are not HD sharp - not even close. If you haven't noticed it, it's certainly because you haven't looked, because believe me, it's there, and it's not something that can be adjusted in or out - it's in the design of the flat CRT, not the adjustment of the drive circuits.

So I'm willing to give you credit for being able to detect bad geometry, and that you haven't seen any in 5 units, but on the resolution, if you don't see it, then you aren't looking for it!

x

modr0010

07-11-05, 05:17 PM

you seem young and angry. it's ok. i was just giving my opinion on what i saw. these issues simply do not exist with the samples i have at my disposal. that's all. it doesn't have the highest resolution out there. it's $900. i'm sorry that 90% of the owners of this TV have these problems. hopefully they will be recalled if that's the case. surely Samsung really just pulled one over on my blind ass. even an idiot can see geometry issues. like i said, none for me. sorry it upsets you so...

I've probably looked at about 7 different sets, and they all have awkward geometry at the bottom of the sets. I had a CC technician come out to take a look at my television and he said every Samsung he has seen has the same problem, but mine was noticeably worse. After messing around with the service menu, you can correct issues on the sides of the television, but you can't get rid of the bow at the bottom of the screen without sacrificing something more noticeable. The technician said he could open up the TV and shift the yoke up to make the bowed lines at the top of the screen instead, if you watch a lot of tickers, this may be the way to go.
Despite the geometry problems, I think it is the best set for the money. Pictures and colors are excellent. I used the Digital Video Essentials disk to do some minor color and picture adjustments, the set is beautiful with an HD, SD, or DVD picture. It comes with its own HD tuner ($250) which makes it a steal for anyone that doesn't want to pay your cable provider. Plug and play is awesome. The technician thought the tv was a plasma tv when he first walked into the room, it is a sweet cabinet.
Anyways, that's my two cents, every samsung tv I have seen in the past month bows up on the bottom of the screen (so does the Sony, but not nearly as noticeable). Some tv's are worse than others, so if your patient, you'll find one that is good. Great new technology for the price. Sony's are overpriced.

bocmir

07-11-05, 05:24 PM

Anyways, that's my two cents, every samsung tv I have seen in the past month bows up on the bottom of the screen (so does the Sony, but not nearly as noticeable). Some tv's are worse than others, so if your patient, you'll find one that is good. Great new technology for the price. Sony's are overpriced.
I have a TX-P2675WH (while not quite the SlimFit, it's still a CRT) that bows up a bit at the furthest inch of the lower right hand corner. It's only really noticable on the ESPN-HD ticker. I fixed the geometry otherwise and everything looks pretty much fine (I messed around for three hours, and you're right, it was the only aspect I could not fix). Out of box, however, it was bad enough that my girlfriend noticed it immediately, especially on 4:3 material. I imagine someone who didn't want to/didn't know how to do the corrections themself wouldn't be pleased.

bgall

07-11-05, 05:26 PM

I have a TX-P2675WH (while not quite the SlimFit, it's still a CRT) that bows up a bit at the furthest inch of the lower right hand corner. It's only really noticable on the ESPN-HD ticker. I fixed the geometry otherwise and everything looks pretty much fine. Out of box, however, it was bad enough that my girlfriend noticed it immediately, especially on 4:3 material. I imagine someone who didn't want to/didn't know how to do the corrections themself wouldn't be pleased.

I got this same set and it has the same shift in the lower right as well. Could you share the service menu changes you made? I'm not too savvy with the service menu so was looking for some help. Thanks :)

I also didn't know where to reduce the overscan, VSM, and color so if you could help on that as well mucho appreciated :)

Phunktify

07-11-05, 05:28 PM

For $800 you can get far better resolution in the sony hs420

props to xgrep for backing me up on the resolution issue. It really is noticable and particularly in the slim fit. Why not get the 30xs955 for 1099, a couple hundred bucks more for superfine CRT or the hs420 which is still far better than the slim fit

donkeysk

07-11-05, 05:38 PM

yeah, i said resolution isn't the hottest. i specifically was refereing to the edges. it does have noticable lines there. from 3 ft away though, it doesn't look bad at all and hardly noticable. this set is dirt cheap and looks better than the comparable Sony's. the IT guys here went out to buy a killer CRT for testing. they came back with this. i was more refereing to the 'color-splotches'. those i have seen nothing of. even after running straight colored panels on it. it was totally even. of course you could see the lines on the edges better like this too. Sony's also do this. i tweak endlessly with everything. if there was even the slightest problem, i'd state it. my opinion is unbiased. i've never owned a Samsung product before. i've owned numerous Sony products with varying degrees of quality, but that doesn't make me against Sony products. if i saw any bowing, it would've been sent back immediately. i'm hyper-critical. it looks damn good. i also know this set is only $900. you can't expect $5000 resolution. that's a known factor. the other issues sound like bad quality control. looking at the examples i have, i'd be wrong to not recommend it.

donkeysk

07-11-05, 05:43 PM

on another note: i watch a lot of ESPN and CNN. if i saw that ticker waver i'd be pissed too...

modr0010

07-11-05, 05:46 PM

For $800 you can get far better resolution in the sony hs420

Along with the hs420 TV, you get the look of a huge CRT tube with an enormous cabinet (44% bigger). You also get no HD-Tuner ($250). If you have a small space, care about the looks, and want to stay under $1000, there is no sony that can come close to this TV.

bocmir

07-11-05, 05:57 PM

I got this same set and it has the same shift in the lower right as well. Could you share the service menu changes you made? I'm not too savvy with the service menu so was looking for some help. Thanks :)

I also didn't know where to reduce the overscan, VSM, and color so if you could help on that as well mucho appreciated :)
Well, if you don't know already, to get into the service menu: with the set turned off, on the remote press MUTE, 1, 8, 2, POWER. That'll take you to the service menu. The menus you should be concerned with are DEFLECTION, VIDEO ADJUST 1 and VIDEO ADJUST 2.

Deflection handles geometry. To minimize overscan, you want to focus on the first four settings: V-AMP and H-AMP control how tall and wide the screen is (stretching, literally), V-SHIFT and H-SHIFT control the centering of the screen, vertically and horizontally. It works best to shrink the screen down quite a bit, on both planes, so that you have black borders all the way around. Then use V and H-SHIFT to center the screen. Once you're centered, use V and H-AMP to get your picture back to full screen. Be sure to go a few clicks over. Some feeds aren't quite as "big" resolution-wise as others. Make sure you test your settings with HD channels, standard channels, and any inputs you have like DVD, video games, etc. My settings are:

V-AMP: 26
V-SHIFT: 24
H-AMP: 20
H-SHIFT: 24

Once you have overscan eliminated, the other entries on this menu you might want to tweak are H-PAR, UP-COR, LOW-COR, H-TRA, BOW and ANGLE. Don't bother with the rest. I haven't seen them make any difference. I can't really explain to you what each of these does specifically, because honestly, I don't know. Just make sure to WRITE DOWN YOUR DEFAULT VALUES before messing with these, or anything. Set aside a couple of hours for tweaking and I'm sure you'll get good results. A copy of DVE and Avia running a geometry test pattern in the background helps. Just so you know, when in the service menu, your TV will still display the picture of whatever's connected to your selected input in the background, which definitely helps.

Video Adjust 1 deals with a few important settings. Only modify CTI_LEVEL, COL_AXIS, LTI_LEVEL and MELODY VOLUME in here. I haven't touched anything else. If you want to get rid of the annoying chimes that play when you turn your TV on or off, changed MELODY VOLUME all the way down to 0. COL_AXIS handles "red push". A setting of 1 (not 0 for some reason) turns it off. This is definitely recommended. CTI_LEVEL and LTI_LEVEL handle enhancement of chrominance and luminance; I turned them both down to 0 for a more natural picture.

Video Adjust 2 deals with the other very important stuff. Only modify GAMMA, DPIC_LEVEL, DC-TRANS, VM_LEVEL and SHP_CD. GAMMA, DPIC and DC-TRANS are all somewhat similar. Lower them. Turning them higher will make the picture darker and eliminate shadow detail. I recommended setting all three to zero and then using the basic "brightness" control in the regular menu to control everything else. SHP should also be set to 0 to prevent more artificial sharpening of bright colors. And of course, we come to VSM. Set VM_LEVEL to 0 to do away with the evil velocity scan modulation. You can even set it to 1, but I don't recommend any artificial effects.

When you're done tweaking, just hit power. When you turn your set back on, your settings will be reset, so be sure to take the TV off Dynamic picture mode and set it to custom or even movie. I suggest calibrating with DVE or Avia to get the best picture. Remember, though, ALWAYS record your original settings as there's no way to get them back. And a lot of this is trial and error. You'll probably be turning your TV on and off quite a few times to get to a picture you like best!

A properly calibrated set will probably look much different than factory settings. Let your eyes get used to it and they'll thank you. It will be more like looking through a window than watching TV.

modr0010

07-11-05, 06:06 PM

BOCMIR, Would you suggest most of these video settings for the slim fit also?

bocmir

07-11-05, 06:15 PM

If the service menu has the same settings, then sure. They're pretty much universal. The SlimFit is still a CRT, so I'm betting the changes to be had by modifying these things will be similar.

dracula

07-11-05, 06:32 PM

mhoak has reported the following in response to my question on his use of the HDMI interface on the SlimFit with a SA8300HD:

"As for the SA box, after working fine for a day or two, I have since started having HDCP handshake issues and have gone back to using component cables."

Please be aware that if you plan on using the SlimFit HDMI interface you will have trouble.

acelink

07-12-05, 05:26 AM

Over the weekend, I looked really hard at the Slim TVs manufactured by Samsung and LG at a department store in Korea. Since they are the only known manufacturers of shortened
braun tubes at the moment, they are usually displayed side by side.

I had the salesperson run the HD signals so I can get a clear what these sets are capable of displaying. The picture were clear and crisp and I was not able to detect any geographical distortions as mentioned in this forum (more on this later).
The department store also had very few regular TVs displayed but after seeing the slim TVs in person, the regular TVs look so antique. In terms of PQ, I did not see any difference
between the slim and regular ones.

Personally I think the cabinet design of Samsung is better than LG and I would say same for the PQ. The Samsung set displaed sharper and clearer HD signal than LG. Although LG set deplayed newly reduced price, which was about $100 cheaper than Samsung, if you care about the PQ, I think the choice is obvious. But then, everyone has different idea when it comes to "good" PQ, so I think people should compare these products side by side before making the purchase.

Speaking of price, the average retail price of slim TVs in Korea ranges from $1,300 to $1,500, which really ticks me off. I cannot believe the same product can be purchased for
$900 at the States. I think I will postpone my purchase till the price drop to a realistic level
in Korea.

Btw, the salesperson informs me that the early Slim production batches from Samsung and LG did suffer from poor PQ but are ok with the current production. I haven't seen the bad ones before so I have no comment on this issue. This is my 2 cents on the slim TVs.

acelink

07-12-05, 05:38 AM

dracula

07-12-05, 10:48 AM

nuno_max

07-12-05, 11:54 AM

cameronthorne

07-12-05, 02:13 PM

I was dead set on buying a 30" SlimFit until I saw the problems in this thread. It seems like some people have had good luck with the geometry corrections in the service menu. The HDMI problem is just poor design, so I don't know what I would do about that. But....the price on this set is just great.

What alternatives should I look at?

My requirements are:

Widescreen display
Around $1000
Integrated HDTV tuner
480p/1080i at least
Integrated scaler
HDMI input
component input
good PQ

Given that list, the SlimFit still seems like a great set (assuming the geometry can be corrected via the service menu). But while I am out shopping, what other sets should I be looking at that fit those criteria? The slim design was a big plus for me.

Thanks!

Phunktify

07-12-05, 02:21 PM

Sony kd30xs955 is $1099 at BB, best picture tube available for 30" CRTs hands down. Im not sure how much longer they will be around so get one while you can...

justsc

07-12-05, 03:00 PM

Noise in Samsung SlimFit

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have a Samsung Slimfit.
My tv makes a noise when this turn on. If the volume this below the 10 hear the noise.

Does anybody have this problem?
That is normal?

???
You've asked this question already. Two answers were provided yesterday morning. Have you attempted to resolve your problem using the suggestions?

JeffinFL

07-12-05, 04:24 PM

Its unfortunate if in fact a bad batch of Samsung slimfit TVs was released from the manufacturer as one poster has indicated. I would have loved to have kept my slim fit, but the geometry problems were not fixable via the service menu on my TV and the floor model at my local Circuit City had the same problem (that enough looking for me!). After all the trouble I went through to get the set home and then to have to turn around and take it back three weeks later, I am done with Samsung. They really should have better quality control of their products. Nothing against Samsung - if I would have had the same problems with a Sony TV (which so far I have not) I would just as quickly be done with them too. It's crazy that you have to feel like you need to purchase an extended warranty for these things in order to feel comfortable that you will be able to get your moneys worth out of them. Maybe I expect too much!

bgall

07-12-05, 05:30 PM

Now that I recall.

When I was looking at the Samsung TXR-26 (the one I got) and the Samsung 30 Slim Fit, the slim fit actually did have a sharper picture, but I wasn't gonna pay a lot more for 4 more inches and a neat design

mhoak

07-12-05, 05:52 PM

I wanted to clarify that my HDMI issue (SA 8300HD box not properly HCDP handshaking with SlimFit) is limited solely to the SA 8300HD box. I tested an upconverting DVD player with an HDMI connection connected to the SlimFit and everything worked perfectly.

nuno_max

07-12-05, 07:32 PM

But the noise goes by back side of tv.

When I turn on the TV the noise begin, with any cable of signal.

It's normally?
Anyone have solution for this problem?

modr0010

07-13-05, 09:13 AM

Ha, I've got a new gripe for the TV. My second Slimfit smells! I'm not sure if there is some excess dust in the machine, but it has smelled like burning dust. Is it normal for these things to get a little warm during use? I know the smell isn't normal, but I'll see if it goes away. I have the same geometry issues as my first slimfit, but not quite as bad. I haven't quite decided if I can live with it or not yet.

cameronthorne

07-13-05, 03:31 PM

Sony kd30xs955 is $1099 at BB, best picture tube available for 30" CRTs hands down. Im not sure how much longer they will be around so get one while you can...
That is a little more than I wanted to spend, but from all accounts it sounds worth it.

What stand do you recommend for that beast? Are the "matching" Sony stands really worth $300?

Thanks!

Phunktify

07-13-05, 04:34 PM

That is a little more than I wanted to spend, but from all accounts it sounds worth it.

What stand do you recommend for that beast? Are the "matching" Sony stands really worth $300?

Thanks!
Nah.,...you can probably buy some cheaper piece of furniture from IKEA or something...it just needs to be able to hold around 150lbs for the tv then whatever extra a/v equipment you have...

acelink

07-14-05, 03:48 AM

Was the slim LG TV the 30FS1D model?

Yes, but 30FS1DA is now available. I am speculating this one is the improved version over 30FS1D. I didn't find this product in the stores yet but I will make
sure to look carefully at the PQ when I see one.

FYI, Samsung now sells three slim TVs in Korea.
The lastest release comes in black and Samsung has added the HDMI input.
Basically this model looks identical to one that is being sold in States
but the color is all black, which gives it a cleaner look than the silver model.
Also, the shape of rear cabinet is improved. It is now circular whereas the first model is rectangular in shape.

nuno_max

07-14-05, 02:28 PM

But, my no smells...
Your Samsung SlimFit make a noise when is on ???

norm3

07-19-05, 05:13 PM

How is SD on these?

mhafner

07-20-05, 04:06 PM

But the noise goes by back side of tv.

When I turn on the TV the noise begin, with any cable of signal.

It's normally?
Anyone have solution for this problem?

Mine makes a high frequency noise in more or less regular intervals. No idea why and how to get rid of it. Very annoying.

scotlandcap

07-21-05, 01:20 AM

Has anyone seen the new Sammy SlimFit on their website? TX-R3080WH. 30" slim CRT---but the speakers are on the bottom. A few inches narrower so it can fit into some cabinets the 3079 won't. This is the form factor I have been waiting for. Now if LG and Tosh can come out with theirs, we might have some price competition! Seems like manufacturers are starting to get it by giving a choice of side speakers or bottom speakers.

The casing/bezel looks like an LCD/Plasma---looks really good. Check it out and please advise if anyone knows about release, cost, availability, etc. Thanks!

Larry Fletcher

07-21-05, 10:38 AM

I wonder why the R3079 has a 32" measured pictured tube when the R3080 is listed with a 30" tube . I noticed this under the specifications tab. Am I missing something?

Ben Music

07-21-05, 01:07 PM

No doubt a misprint. Both are 30 in.

Ben Music

07-21-05, 01:14 PM

Probiably a missprint. Both are 30 in CRT's.

Ben Music

Ben Music

07-21-05, 01:16 PM

Both are 30 in CRT's.

Ben Music

ryandegs

07-21-05, 01:19 PM

justsc

07-21-05, 02:14 PM

I wonder why the R3079 has a 32" measured pictured tube when the R3080 is listed with a 30" tube . I noticed this under the specifications tab. Am I missing something?
I've been growing very skeptical with regard to Samsung's published specifications. I don't know what's going on there but it certainly seems like one hand doesn't know what the other is doing.

First came the issue of the TX-Rs displaying, or not displaying 720p to the screen (I've initiated another email to Samsung on this issue, because I believe they are really misleading buyers and owners on this potentially cool option). Now we have 30" vs 32" - which is it? "Actual" tube sizes are larger and the set's "display" size. It's common in Europe to see data sheets with 32" for an identical set over here that's listed as 30" widescreen. They're not bound by the same advertising laws as we are here. Maybe the 3079 was initially a European offering and they've failed to correct the data sheet for US consumers.

I think Samsung needs to revisit their documentation processes. :rolleyes:

Rafter Man

07-21-05, 06:28 PM

The TXR3080 has the bottom speaker/floating screen design similar to their new plasmas and DLP's. Otherwise, the internals are the same as the 3079. It should be available in August.

uroberto

07-22-05, 10:41 AM

I have one of these Samsung Slimfit 3079 model and I'm getting moving horizontal scan lines. These lines come up from the bottom and they can be seen clearly with white/light background display. Dark backgrounds seem to hide them. I only got this TV 6 days ago from Circuity City. This is the second 3079 with problems, the first one was DOA. I have called up Samsung tech support and they seem clueless. Is there anything I can do to fix this through the service menu?

Larry Fletcher

07-22-05, 11:24 AM

Well now I am skeptical about the slimfit. Went to both Circuit city and Best buy yesterday to chekc it out. Both stores the Slimfit looked out of whack. The bottom of the screen curved upward.

JeffinFL

07-22-05, 12:51 PM

Larry,
The bow is much more difficult to see if you leave the TV off :) I spent a week trying to calibrate mine to get the bow to go away. I ended up returning it to CC and replacing it with another set that is "bow" free. My thoughts on this are that you might expect to have to do some minor adjustments to the picture when you get a new TV home, but you shouldn't have to make any major adjustments using the service menu (which in some cases voids the warranty). I have not had to tweak anything but the color/brightness/contrast etc. on the Sony that I exchanged the Samsung for (certainly haven't had to adjust voltages to the various deflection circuits manually!) If you are feeling brave and wish to tweak make sure you write down EVERY setting before you start adjusting. The settings in the service menu (not the standard menu option) are unit specific for the most part so you wont be able to get them from someone else...just a word of warning. Take Care.

uroberto

07-23-05, 07:16 AM

Never mind, I found the cause of my problem with my Samsung slimfit. A faulty UPS was causing it. I took it out and the horizontal scan lines went away. Now, the picture looks very good.

ryandegs

07-25-05, 03:58 PM

I recently got my set from BB at Colma, CA.

From a 1st time HDTV owner no complaints with PQ on OTA HD Shows.
SD is still SD, however DVD playback is kinda soft.

I'm using a Samsung DVD-P241 Player, 525P out via component.
Anyone else experience this problem with DVD playback?

Thanks!

I just sampled a Samsung DVD-P941 via HDMI, didn't really notice any change in PQ.
I guess I just have tired eyes :eek:

So far so good...

Phunktify

07-25-05, 04:16 PM

c3po33

07-25-05, 07:46 PM

I bought a SlimFit a week ago for $798 at BrandsMart and found the Red color to be all wrong. The Tint set from factory at 50, the red looked way too Pink (not red), it looks much better set at 33. This is the first CRT set I have had where I have had to adjust a color to get it look correct.

I will try the Service menu as described here to see if I can get a better picture. The reds now look as reds, but the pinks look like red now. I also have some horizontal lines that appear with a white background as someone else here stated.

I wish I could easily jump from video one (my TIVO) to component one (my Comcast DVR)

bmel

07-26-05, 09:26 AM

I just want to add another warning about the bowing problem. I went to cc yesterday to check this tv out. Theoretically its the perfect tv for my bedroom. At cc they were running a directv loop as a demo. I told the salesman about my concerns. As he was disparaging all of you "internet idiots" a directv orange banner appeared on the bottom of the screen. The
the bow was obvious. The cc salesman sends his apologies.

teekaybee

07-26-05, 04:46 PM

Anybody who actually likes and is keeping this TV (as I do and am)............what modifications worked out the best when calibrating in the service menu? Any suggestions?

justsc

07-26-05, 04:59 PM

Anybody who actually likes and is keeping this TV (as I do and am)............what modifications worked out the best when calibrating in the service menu? Any suggestions?
This was posted earlier in this thread by "bocmir:"

Well, if you don't know already, to get into the service menu: with the set turned off, on the remote press MUTE, 1, 8, 2, POWER. That'll take you to the service menu. The menus you should be concerned with are DEFLECTION, VIDEO ADJUST 1 and VIDEO ADJUST 2.

Deflection handles geometry. To minimize overscan, you want to focus on the first four settings: V-AMP and H-AMP control how tall and wide the screen is (stretching, literally), V-SHIFT and H-SHIFT control the centering of the screen, vertically and horizontally. It works best to shrink the screen down quite a bit, on both planes, so that you have black borders all the way around. Then use V and H-SHIFT to center the screen. Once you're centered, use V and H-AMP to get your picture back to full screen. Be sure to go a few clicks over. Some feeds aren't quite as "big" resolution-wise as others. Make sure you test your settings with HD channels, standard channels, and any inputs you have like DVD, video games, etc. My settings are:

V-AMP: 26
V-SHIFT: 24
H-AMP: 20
H-SHIFT: 24

Once you have overscan eliminated, the other entries on this menu you might want to tweak are H-PAR, UP-COR, LOW-COR, H-TRA, BOW and ANGLE. Don't bother with the rest. I haven't seen them make any difference. I can't really explain to you what each of these does specifically, because honestly, I don't know. Just make sure to WRITE DOWN YOUR DEFAULT VALUES before messing with these, or anything. Set aside a couple of hours for tweaking and I'm sure you'll get good results. A copy of DVE and Avia running a geometry test pattern in the background helps. Just so you know, when in the service menu, your TV will still display the picture of whatever's connected to your selected input in the background, which definitely helps.

Video Adjust 1 deals with a few important settings. Only modify CTI_LEVEL, COL_AXIS, LTI_LEVEL and MELODY VOLUME in here. I haven't touched anything else. If you want to get rid of the annoying chimes that play when you turn your TV on or off, changed MELODY VOLUME all the way down to 0. COL_AXIS handles "red push". A setting of 1 (not 0 for some reason) turns it off. This is definitely recommended. CTI_LEVEL and LTI_LEVEL handle enhancement of chrominance and luminance; I turned them both down to 0 for a more natural picture.

Video Adjust 2 deals with the other very important stuff. Only modify GAMMA, DPIC_LEVEL, DC-TRANS, VM_LEVEL and SHP_CD. GAMMA, DPIC and DC-TRANS are all somewhat similar. Lower them. Turning them higher will make the picture darker and eliminate shadow detail. I recommended setting all three to zero and then using the basic "brightness" control in the regular menu to control everything else. SHP should also be set to 0 to prevent more artificial sharpening of bright colors. And of course, we come to VSM. Set VM_LEVEL to 0 to do away with the evil velocity scan modulation. You can even set it to 1, but I don't recommend any artificial effects.

When you're done tweaking, just hit power. When you turn your set back on, your settings will be reset, so be sure to take the TV off Dynamic picture mode and set it to custom or even movie. I suggest calibrating with DVE or Avia to get the best picture. Remember, though, ALWAYS record your original settings as there's no way to get them back. And a lot of this is trial and error. You'll probably be turning your TV on and off quite a few times to get to a picture you like best!

A properly calibrated set will probably look much different than factory settings. Let your eyes get used to it and they'll thank you. It will be more like looking through a window than watching TV.

modr0010

07-27-05, 10:00 AM

Does anyone have a problem where the sound becomes delayed about a half second from the video? At first I thought it was just the OTA HD signal that was causing the problem, but I noticed it again watching a normal component DVD program with analog RCA audio inputs. Has anyone else had this problem? Could this be a service menu problem? The audio seems to trail the video so voices don't match the people's mouth moving. I'm getting pretty annoyed with this TV, it is my second Sammy Slim-Fit, I'm thinking of returning it, but I can't find a better deal anywhere with a HD tuner. Any suggestions? I'd like to stay under $1000.

stecofff17

07-27-05, 10:31 AM

I just bought the Samsung TX-R3079WH yesterday at my local CircuitCity. I had a price limit of $1000 and pretty much went by PQ. My wife and I narrowed the choices down to this set, a 30 in Philips widescreen and a 30 in Sony Wega. In the end we felt this set had the best PQ. Brought it home, hooked it up, adjusted with Sound & Vision and no problems. Haven't hooked up HD yet, looked at SD and DVD. Not seeing any bowing or any of the other problems mentioned in this forum. Sorry, they just aren't there. Maybe I got lucky. As for PQ, my son has a 51 in Sony HD in his room and don't see much difference. Just my 2 cents worth.

teekaybee

07-27-05, 11:28 AM

No problems getting sound through my Kenwood amplifier when watching OTA or cable, but when I play DVD's, only sound from the TV comes in. Do I need to switch something on in the TV to allow sound to pass through my Kenwood amplifier. I am sure this is a simple question to some, but I can't seem to figure it out. Please, in need of surround sound when watching DVD's. Help!!! :confused:

In addition, does the tv automatically notice the progressive scan dvd player, or do I need to tell the tv to switch to progressive mode?

*Sammy Slimfit
*Sony Prog. Scan DVD Player (DVP-NS50PS)
*Kenwood Analog Amplifier

justsc

07-27-05, 01:33 PM

...In addition, does the tv automatically notice the progressive scan dvd player, or do I need to tell the tv to switch to progressive mode?

*Sammy Slimfit
*Sony Prog. Scan DVD Player (DVP-NS50PS)
*Kenwood Analog Amplifier
Your Samsung has "autosensing" inputs, and has both 480p and 1080i as native resolutions. You never have to tell your set what scan rate is coming in - it'll figure it out just fine.

teekaybee

07-27-05, 01:54 PM

justsc

07-27-05, 02:04 PM

any input on no sound coming through the analog amplifier when I play DVD's?

If not, maybe someone can tell me what connections they have that is working for them. Specifically, what inputs in the back of TV to back of analog amplifier. By the way I am using component cables from dvd player to TV. Thanks.
It sounds (no pun intended) like you have your audio out from the DVD to your TV, right? Connect your audio audio cables from your dvd player directly to your amp, then you can select your audio from the amp instead of the tv.

Hope this helps.

mhafner

07-27-05, 04:22 PM

modr0010

07-27-05, 05:15 PM

I have the European version of the Slimfit. It seems the service menu is stuck at using the TV tuner channel 1. I can not display a DVD using any of the inputs. Unless the TV channel sends a test picture you can not calibrate the set in the service menu. Is this normal? Sounds like the stone age. Really, do you need a professional signal generator with RF out that costs several times as much as this TV to calibrate it? That's absurd.

The American version allowed me to use a test pattern via a DVD player with a component input. I used the Digital Video Essentials disk to calibrate the TV. I found whatever input I turned the TV off with, the service menu would open up at that input. Not sure why yours defaults to Channel 1.

Has anyone had the problem where audio and video have timing discrepancies? My audio seems to fall behind the video. I am just using the TV speakers right now. In the service menu I turned off things like Red Push, Gamma corrections, and a few artificial sharpening tools, could those have any affect on the audio timing? Anyway to fix this in the service menu? I thought it was just HD sources, but I found some of my DVD's with an analog audio input have the same problem. I'm beginning to hate this TV, it's my second one.

justsc

07-27-05, 06:22 PM

...I'm beginning to hate this TV, it's my second one.
By all means, if you are within the return period, return this set. No one should have to feel that way about their set.

acelink

07-27-05, 09:51 PM

Cool, I wonder if there is going to be a 26" SlimFit one soon.

Samsung just released 27" SlimFit in Korea. I tried to post a picture here, but I not allowed at the moment.

acelink

07-27-05, 10:28 PM

http://img.news.yahoo.co.kr/picture/72/20050726/7220050726_17939223.jpg

Looks good in the picture.

acelink

07-27-05, 10:37 PM

http://image.moneytoday.co.kr/2005/07/2005072610290725193_1.jpg

acelink

07-27-05, 10:53 PM

FYI, Samsung now sells three slim TVs in Korea.
The lastest release comes in black and Samsung has added the HDMI input.
Basically this model looks identical to one that is being sold in States
but the color is all black, which gives it a cleaner look than the silver model.
Also, the shape of rear cabinet is improved. It is now circular whereas the first model is rectangular in shape.

http://www.sec.co.kr/images/product/tv/goods/CT-32Z32HD_l.jpg

I saw this black one at Costco Korea and it is much different than the silver one
as I originally thought. The front speakers are no longer slanted and it is parallel
to glass (flush-mounted). I am giving a serious thought to this model.

acelink

07-28-05, 07:19 PM

Sorry, it is 30" not 32".

ghettogreg

07-30-05, 12:59 AM

Well, a few weeks ago I went ahead and bought this tv in the hopes that i would get lucky and not have to worry about the geometry issues. Upon setup i noticed a hint of curvature or bowing that I was able to remedy for the most part in the service menu. However, after a week or so it seemed to either get worse or my eyes were so trained to look for imperfections that I was bound to find something wrong with the geometry. That is until I asked my girlfriend (who doesn't have great eyesight) if she noticed anything wrong with the picture (without actually telling her about the screwed up geometry). She responded immediately that the picture seemed to bow in the middle of the screen. I knew that meant it was time to exchange it for another one. So I went ahead and got another set from circuit city tonight and curse my unlucky stars, it was even worse than the previous one. Needless to say, I am returning it again tomorrow and this time I'm getting my money back and will begin the search for another television (maybe the similar lg model if any best buy near me has one in stock).
Bottom line, if you own this tv and are pleased with it, great! Enjoy it! If you haven't bought this tv, however, and are just researching, AVIOD IT! There is no excuse for releasing a $1000 electronic device that can't even display an image properly. If I actually cared enough I would petition Samsung for a recall as I have seen five of these sets in person and every one had some sort of geometry issue.
But that's just my experience, so take it with a grain of salt.

justsc

07-30-05, 01:25 PM

randallrst

07-30-05, 07:33 PM

justsc

07-31-05, 01:11 AM

scotlandcap

07-31-05, 09:21 PM

Supposedly, the Sammy TX-R3080 will be coming out in August. I am waiting---read: hoping---that since this is a later release, the kinks will be worked out. Who knows where in the production cycle a current 3079 was produced. The first one off the line could still be in someone's warehouse waiting to be sold.

If the 3080's are bad, then we know Sammy doesn't have a handle on this technology yet.

randallrst

07-31-05, 11:11 PM

Color me stupid. I bought the same model. Lets see if the third times the charm.

Fireye

08-01-05, 10:05 AM

Wow, this looks like a neat TV, really tempted to buy it

justsc

08-01-05, 10:53 AM

Color me stupid. I bought the same model. Lets see if the third times the charm.
Best of luck, seriously! Please let us know how it goes.

EL_RIEL

08-01-05, 08:28 PM

Your Samsung has "autosensing" inputs, and has both 480p and 1080i as native resolutions. You never have to tell your set what scan rate is coming in - it'll figure it out just fine.

Hmmm this brings an interesting question for me:

I see there are some gamers here, I have a PS2 and Gran Turismo 4 , which can deliver a 1080i signal only during a race. the rest of manus, navigation and general stuff can only by at 480p.

So if I enable the 1080i in a race this TV can handle the signal changes on the fly?..

You all are driving me mad!! ;) , i was sure about the buying Sony 30xs955, then i saw this 30" slimfit yesterday on BestBuy(in Texas) at the side of a 30XS955.. side by side comparision the Slimfit had better color reproduction, less noise on image, than the 30xs955.(both where playing the Directv Ads)
based on all your comments i wonder if there was a problem in the cable to the 30xs955. or maybe i cant handle SD standard definition TV as good as the Slim fit... so this is crazy!
My source of EDTV and HDTV will by ps2-gamecube(480p, one in 1080i) and the upcoming XBOX360. Here in mexico there is not HD cable, HD sat.

I like the slimfit because i will be able to move the tv with a little help, and that the TV stand doesnt have to be super-strong, another good point is that is 200USD cheaper than the sony one. ( with 200 i can buy other things, maybe a PSP, a better digital camera, more games) but im confused because of the comments made here.. about PQ.

Currently i have a Sony WEGA 25". So anything will be better.
And my HT-room is small. so 30-34" is good to me. I wish i can afford the 34XBR960. :)

Best Regards / Saludos!!

PS. I am in mexico, ill try to contact someone from Samsung mexico to see if they can sell the SlimFit maybe at a better price directly from the factory( i have to confirm if this TVs are made here in mexico and where). Ill let you know what i found. the more cheaper it gets then less atractive the 30xs955 is.. hehehe

flexible

08-02-05, 09:38 AM

I purchased this tv on July 9th. It had all I wanted,HDMI, 720p, hd tuner, and looked really really nice. Got it home and saw yellow and purple spots near each speaker. Called Circuit City and was told to bring it back. Got a replacement set home and it looked great...for a week. Now I'm seeing a trapezoid shape of green horizontal lines from top to bottom of the screen. This thing weighs 120 lbs. I'm tired of carrying it back to the store for a new one. Should I wait for a repair? Hell no. Im not having something "new" repaired. My other options are the Sony, Panasonic or Phillips. None of them match the options on this tv.

Should I try a 3rd set or go for another 30" model?

I think you made a mistake returning the first set with the purple/yellow splotches. Mine had exactly the same thing when the delivery guys set it up. I almost sent it back with the delivery guys, but instead called Samsung who recommended unplugging it from the electrical outlet for a few minutes. Did that. Problem solved and the set has been beautiful since. It appears that that performs the equivalent of a degauss (would have been nice if they had included a degauss button).

Would be easy enough for you to try to see if it has any effect on the trapezoid stuff you are seeing. But I think it would have been completely effective on the purple/yellow splotches you mentioned in your post because it certainly cured mine.

justsc

08-02-05, 11:11 AM

I think you made a mistake returning the first set with the purple/yellow splotches. Mine had exactly the same thing when the delivery guys set it up. I almost sent it back with the delivery guys, but instead called Samsung who recommended unplugging it from the electrical outlet for a few minutes. Did that. Problem solved and the set has been beautiful since. It appears that that performs the equivalent of a degauss (would have been nice if they had included a degauss button).

Would be easy enough for you to try to see if it has any effect on the trapezoid stuff you are seeing. But I think it would have been completely effective on the purple/yellow splotches you mentioned in your post because it certainly cured mine.
My heart really goes out to current Samsung customers. I am an ardent Samsung tv fan/officionado, and I just hate to see new buyers having such trouble.

Out of the box (is that what OOB means?) many, many Samsung sets need work. Just like so many of the complaints I've been reading about. But once you get them dialed-in, they are absolute gems. And lots of times the adjustments needed can be quite simple, but buyers are given no help as to what to do when they get 'em home.

I have never seen better SD than on a Samsung digital tv, never! And, of course, the HD just sings. Their tubes are somewhat similar in PQ to the Sony SFP sets.

Maybe, since Samsung prices the sets so low, an ISF calibration should be considered as part of the purchase.

Best of luck to all Samsung buyers! The set you get has loads of potential if you can just get it to cooperate.

Mikeoz

08-02-05, 11:32 AM

I can relate to some people's disappointment in these sets.. A friend recently had his heart set on one of these sets, and just recently purchased one. Now granted I haven't done much tweaking out of the box, but the picture is sub-par compared to the non-slim sets. Pictures look "ok," but they're not as clear and crisp as they should be. Images looked slightly fuzzy at times. There's also a very slight bowing inward on the bottom. I'll probably take a look at it again this weekend and try to tinker w/ the OTA tuner to try and view some hd. But.. me personally, I'm not impressed at all. It's also NO lighter than the non-slim 30", so you need a fairly sturdy stand to support it.

Btw, it's amazing how clueless most people are in terms of technology, etc. The salesman pushed this set on him when a 30" non-slim tv would have been just fine (and probably looked better). But, he also really wanted a slim set.. He thought it looked great, but I must say the picture was disappointing. I got a winbook 32" lcd a few months ago, and color reproduction/clarity/geometry certainly are much better than this samsung 30" slimfit. :( I was seriously thinking of purchasing one of these for my bedroom rather than an lcd, and am certainly glad I didn't.

justsc

08-02-05, 12:02 PM

Mikeoz

08-02-05, 01:27 PM

I think the sad fact is that most people aren't very critical of their sets. I mean hell, my friend thought the picture looked great w/ composite inputs.. and he thought he would get HD channels through his cable service because the tv says "hdtv". lol. The salesman even sold him an HDMI cable, and he doesn't even have anything w/ an hdmi output. I will try my best to steer him in the right direction, but some people really are just ignorant regarding certain things, and the stupid salesmen really don't help at all.

So.. most people probably won't even notice this problem even though it does exist. Most likely only "anal" people (like us :)) that actually are informed and critical of the sets would probably even notice a difference. I skimmed through a few posts in this thread and a very high dot pitch would explain why the picture looks "fuzzy." That's disappointing if this is really the cause, but I'll definetly go over a bunch of things this weekend to mini-review the set..

Herumesu05

08-02-05, 02:23 PM

justsc

08-02-05, 02:36 PM

I have had some geometric inconistencies with my Samsung Slimfit. I have not gone to the store to exchange it for another one. What do you people recommend I do? Should I get another Slimfit TV or should I just buy a Sony 30 in. widescreen with super fine pitch (200 dollars more)?
Have you looked at any of the Samsung 30" models, non-slimfits? They are also a great value. Take a look.

If you can't find one that pleases you, then sure - go get that Sony. ;)

ghettogreg

08-02-05, 07:38 PM

Herumesu05, I would return it and get the Sony. After two flawed Slim-fits, I returned them both and got the sony 30xs955 for about $150 more & now I am completely satisfied. No horrible geometry issues and the picture was amazing even before I calibrated it in the service menu. After making some adjustments in the service menu recommended by users in these forums, I find the picture on this set to be one of the best that I have ever seen on any unit. But if the price is too steep then the Samsung non-Slim-fits are a good option. I have found them to have excellent pq. Hope this helps

bluesxtreme

08-02-05, 10:11 PM

Hi, this is my first post and i don't proclaim to be a expert in HDTV.

AT Best Buy:
I read this post with a lot of interest b/c i was considering buying this TV today. I visited best buy where i originally saw it and wanted to purchase it there. it really looks great. I also waited for the HD signal come on and waited for the dreaded "solid bar" test. everything looked great and there was no distortion...but they wouldn't give me free shipping so i left.

AT Circuit City:
I decided to stop by CC and look at the model there. sure enough, the bar came on and the distortion was horrible. and i'm not talking like "just a little bit" but it was a very noticeable curve. you don't have to be nit-picky to notice this... all the other sony's and samsungs did not have that problem.

While i had debated purchasing it at CC, after I saw the bad distortion I just couldn't justify plopping down over $900 +tax for a supposedly "high quality" HDTV. it may be forgiveable for 100-200 dollar TVs, but $900 isn't chump change to most people.

I was definitely dissapointed... though my theory now is that possibly CC got all the "BAD" batches and BB got all the good ones since it really looked great there and a lot of ppl here have complained about ones bought at CC.

cblackstone

08-03-05, 08:27 AM

justsc

08-03-05, 11:48 AM

I've had my SlimFit since May and don't have any real complaints, although I may just not know what to complain about. I did access the Service Menu the other day and made some of the adjustments specified in a previous post. I'll try and post my settings later. I've also calibrated multiple times with the Sound and Vision Disk and I'll post those numbers as well. Off the top of my head, Contrast is around 6, Brightness is around 49, Sharpness around 75, can't remember Color and Tint.
All in all, I've been very happy with this set. As I've never viewed a properly calibrated HD CRT before, it's hard to know what to compare it too, though.
Which picture mode are you using? I'd recommend Custom, and be sure not to use "Vivid," if that's what they still call it. Your Sharpness numbers are very high. You might try that at more like 30. Where's your Color at?

Just for info - here's my numbers after calibration:
Custom
Contrast 30
Brightness 45
Sharpness 29
Color 39
Tint 51/49
DNR Off

These numbers were on a non-SlimFit set, but you might try them out.

cblackstone

08-03-05, 11:53 AM

justsc

08-03-05, 12:07 PM

Custom.
I didn't really notice much difference in any of the sharpness settings, although 75 "seemed" better.
ON mine, setting the Contrast anywhere over 6 introduces a lot of "curve" to the white scales on the Sound and Vision CD.
Yeah, keeping Contrast low helps with overscan bounce. I can't remember which SM settings help with overscan, did you try anything related to that in the SM?

cblackstone

08-03-05, 12:28 PM

Yeah, keeping Contrast low helps with overscan bounce. I can't remember which SM settings help with overscan, did you try anything related to that in the SM?

No. The only settings that I at all changed were the ones that you referenced in the SM post.
When I have some time after my vacation I'm going to do a much more comprehensive tweak.
I'll post all of my original SM settings and the calibrated ones later tonight

randallrst

08-03-05, 01:43 PM

I think you made a mistake returning the first set with the purple/yellow splotches. Mine had exactly the same thing when the delivery guys set it up. I almost sent it back with the delivery guys, but instead called Samsung who recommended unplugging it from the electrical outlet for a few minutes. Did that. Problem solved and the set has been beautiful since. It appears that that performs the equivalent of a degauss (would have been nice if they had included a degauss button).

Would be easy enough for you to try to see if it has any effect on the trapezoid stuff you are seeing. But I think it would have been completely effective on the purple/yellow splotches you mentioned in your post because it certainly cured mine.

I did try to unplug the set many times. I even moved it to different locations in my house. Same issues with the degauss.

The 3rd set is working great. I do see the slight geometry issues mentioned in other posts. I am using all inputs to test thoroughly. I have a new SA 8300 DVR with HDMI. (I work for Comcast). The picture looks very sweet using HDMI. Hopefully this set will not develop a 3rd flaw. Its not fun being a "tv tester" for Samsung.

justsc

08-03-05, 03:59 PM

No. The only settings that I at all changed were the ones that you referenced in the SM post.
When I have some time after my vacation I'm going to do a much more comprehensive tweak.
I'll post all of my original SM settings and the calibrated ones later tonight
Sounds like you doing a great job. I hope you enjoy your set as much as I've enjoyed my Samsung set.

Keep up the good work - others will appreciate your posting of your numbers! ;)

Vagabond

08-04-05, 06:34 AM

Check this link out for adjusting geometry stuff:

service man adjusting (http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/SM/200507/20050708154431015_S62A-aadj-3.pdf)

Cheers

dracula

08-04-05, 11:31 AM

I am using all inputs to test thoroughly. I have a new SA 8300 DVR with HDMI. (I work for Comcast). The picture looks very sweet using HDMI. Hopefully this set will not develop a 3rd flaw. Its not fun being a "tv tester" for Samsung.

Have you had any problems with the SA8300HD and the SlimFit using the HDMI cable? I am referring to loss of signal after power down of the TV and restart with the HDMI input selected.

randallrst

08-04-05, 08:47 PM

Have you had any problems with the SA8300HD and the SlimFit using the HDMI cable? I am referring to loss of signal after power down of the TV and restart with the HDMI input selected.

Yes, I had one issue so far. Just pulled and replugged HDMI cable. Works fine. Tv still going strong after one week. A new record!!!

dracula

08-05-05, 01:43 AM

Yes, I had one issue so far. Just pulled and replugged HDMI cable. Works fine. Tv still going strong after one week. A new record!!!

I don't understand. Do you mean that this problem occurred one time or that this is an ongoing single issue with the SlimFit? What did you mean by a new record? Is a week the longest interval between two occurrences of this problem?

Unplugging and plugging the HDMI cable back in was one of Samsung's solutions to this problem when I talked to them. The other was not to turn off the TV with the input set to HDMI. Neither of those solutions was acceptable to me so I returned the SlimFit.

MLS

08-05-05, 03:12 PM

justsc

08-05-05, 03:43 PM

Harvey Electronics in New York/New Jersey is advertising the new SlimFit model TX-R3080WH. (I don't have enough posts to include a link to the web site, but if you Google the model number, you'll get the page.) Anyone in that area have a chance to stop in and see whether it has the same geometry issues that many others are reporting with the 3079?
Welcome MLS!

These two sets are nearly identical except the 080 has the speakers on the bottom instead of the sides. They are even priced the same. I'm sure it's got the exact same tube and set-up on the inside. Hopefully they've been hearing from their customer base and revisited the geometry!

The link is:

http://www.harveyonline.com/products/details.asp?sku=2020&auth=KONFI&r=0&category%5Fid=2&subcategory%5Fid=50034&page=1&order%5Fby=a%2Emfgr%2C+a%2Emodel%2C+a%2Etitle&mscssid=C87C2JQQASGR9LBC9860UVCPP18KF9AF

KBI

08-06-05, 03:41 AM

Check this link out for adjusting geometry stuff:

service man adjusting (http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/SM/200507/20050708154431015_S62A-aadj-3.pdf)

Cheers

Awesome.. Thanks.. :eek:

chlorinedream

08-06-05, 11:39 PM

so i am using an HDMI cable with this set and now my DVD player doesnt recognize Dolby Digital audio on any DVD. i have HDMI running into the TV and an optical running from DVD to my receiving. how can I fix?

thanks

FlakBeard

08-08-05, 09:28 PM

When exactly is the TX-R3080WH supposed to hit retail stores? I like the new design, so I want to hold off on buying anything just yet.

scotlandcap

08-09-05, 12:18 PM

I've heard August. And it is on the Sammy website. I would think any week now. September wouldn't surprise me though.

Yooper13

08-09-05, 12:29 PM

justsc

08-09-05, 12:44 PM

JeffinFL

08-09-05, 02:19 PM

Like others, I was all ready to buy the slimfit until I read this thread. Now I'm between the Sony 32 in KV32HS420 ($899.00 BB) and the slimfit. Which should I go with? I know the Sony is only HD ready, but I'll have a Comcast HD DVR (motorola I think) to run it through. Thanks for any suggestions.
I was in the same position you are in now. I did purchase the Slimfit only to return it to CC after two weeks because of the screen distortions. I replaced it with the Sony KV32HS420 (same price) and have been very happy with the choice. I liked the slim design of the Samsung, but for close to $1000 I couldn't tolerate the display issues that it has. That's my opinion anyway. I also receive my (sparse) HD programming via my cable box so the fact that the Sony didn't include an integrated HD receiver was not an issue.

Yooper13

08-09-05, 03:44 PM

I think I may go with the Sony 30 in widescreen, I did not realize the 32 in was not a widescreen. Thanks for your help.

JeffinFL

08-09-05, 10:04 PM

Sorry, I meant to say KV30HS420. Definitely go with the Sony 30" widescreen version.

scottd123

08-09-05, 11:06 PM

I've heard August. And it is on the Sammy website. I would think any week now. September wouldn't surprise me though.

Today, I went to Tweeter (A Massachusetts Higher-End Electronics Dealer) and upon asking about the Samsung Slimfit, they said that they didn't have any in and then realized that they don't carry the 3079 but will be carrying the 3080. It will be in August 26, 2005 and they are taking pre-orders at 1000 even. They have a 30 day return policy and Massachusetts is having a tax free weekend this coming weekend(13-14) so I'm going to order one. I'll take a look in store(as they have far less of an issue with the massive cable split than BB or CC) prior to taking it home...but I'm looking forward to it. Will let you know when I have it in my hands...

-Scott

Vegeta

08-10-05, 01:33 PM

Hopefully they fixed the geometry problems in the 3080 model and not just done a redesign ie move the speakers.

scotlandcap

08-18-05, 10:34 AM

Sammy tx-r3080 in stock and for sale at ABT. Sweet. They are out...Now to see one in my area.

Sonikku

08-18-05, 02:11 PM

justsc

08-18-05, 02:32 PM

I'm a college student that is interested in the slim fit as I move around a lot when going to and from the dorms for winter break, summer break ect. We have narrow door ways and judging from previous experiences with TV's the girth is a big pain when moving sets around. I want a 30" that supports 720p, even if it's upscaled as I want a tv to break in the Xbox 360. I also hope to get a DVI to HDMI adaptor and plug my computer into this display. (I'll worry about the timings later) If I'm willing to callibrate this display, would it fit my needs? I've found it selling for a MSRP of $899.
http://www.pcconnection.com/ProductDetail?sku=5946751&SourceID=k15505
Is this a good deal?
Sounds like a good deal. I'm sure you've read about some of these sets having geometry problems. This is not common to all of the sets, but it seems to be getting alot of time on the forum lately. You're always taking your chances with buying tvs. Some are good, some are lemons - and sometimes you just have to exchange one before you get something you like.

You should measure one of these sets against the measurements of the doorways in your dorm. Just to be sure it'll fit. They are slimmer, but not by that much - and they're still just as heavy.

It does seem to be a good fit for what you want to do with it though.

xgrep

08-18-05, 02:35 PM

justsc

08-18-05, 03:08 PM

The set will handle 720p input. It does not display full horizontal HD resolution (is not physically capable due to wide spacing of phosphor stripes), but this is actually not a problem for most people, who find the image quality perfectly acceptable.

As to whether DVI-HDMI will work, I can't say either way, but I have had one experience (with a different set) where a DVI-HDMI connecter did not work going from a Comcast HD DVI to the TV's HDMI. Nothing I could set on either end would work. Had to take the set back (or use component cables). Anyone else have experience on this?

x
I used anDVI-D to HDMI from my Comcast box to my Sony tv and it worked great.

About horizontal resolution - no tube tv can resolve the full hd signal. The best out there resolves about 1440 lines of horizontal resolution. The rest range from 800 to 1100.

xgrep

08-18-05, 03:24 PM

About horizontal resolution - no tube tv can resolve the full hd signal. The best out there resolves about 1440 lines of horizontal resolution. The rest range from 800 to 1100.I think in practical terms (using real test patterns) this is true, but some CRTs are very good. These are computer or studio monitors, though, not consumer TVs. For example a Sony 19" monitor with a .24mm grill aperture pitch has a "physical" resolution of over 1600 lines horizontal, and a constant pitch over the entire flat screen, as opposed to the variable pitch (denser in the center) of the slimfit and other flat screen TVs.

If you want a true HD display, though, you're better off with an LCD than a CRT. At a big sacrifice in contrast, of course (and maybe response time).

x

justsc

08-19-05, 01:56 PM

I think in practical terms (using real test patterns) this is true, but some CRTs are very good. These are computer or studio monitors, though, not consumer TVs. For example a Sony 19" monitor with a .24mm grill aperture pitch has a "physical" resolution of over 1600 lines horizontal, and a constant pitch over the entire flat screen, as opposed to the variable pitch (denser in the center) of the slimfit and other flat screen TVs.

If you want a true HD display, though, you're better off with an LCD than a CRT. At a big sacrifice in contrast, of course (and maybe response time).

x
How do you define a true HD display?

MLS

08-19-05, 02:49 PM

I saw the new Slim-Fit TX-R3080WH in a Hi-Fy Buys (a Tweeter company) in Atlanta last night. They were feeding it a pre-recorded signal from a digital hard drive, with HD material. As a result, I was unable to select a signal with a ticker banner accross the bottom, which I understand is the easiest way to detect the previously mentioned geometry problems with the 3079.

When tuned to a source with no input, the static screen included a scrolling horizontal line. I was unable to detect a noticeable flaw with the relative "straightness" of the line, at either the top or bottom of the screen (but I am a novice). I had previously seen a 3079 model at BB, and did see a flaw with the ticker banner - it looked more like a speed bump, though, than a gradual bowing of the line.

Additionally, the 3080 seemed to have more frequent "missed pixels" (please forgive my deficient vocabulary - I'm referring to those greyed-out spots on the screen that occur now and then) than the nearby Sonys displaying the same source.

I also think I like the look and shape of the 3079 cabinet better, but that's just a personal opinion.

Has anyone else had an opportunity to see the 3080 in person?

Sonikku

08-20-05, 08:45 PM

I used anDVI-D to HDMI from my Comcast box to my Sony tv and it worked great.

About horizontal resolution - no tube tv can resolve the full hd signal. The best out there resolves about 1440 lines of horizontal resolution. The rest range from 800 to 1100.

And how does this model fare? 800, 900? How many lines does the TXR have?

justsc

08-21-05, 03:02 PM

And how does this model fare? 800, 900? How many lines does the TXR have?
Samsung states in the on-line data sheet that these sets have a maximum of 800 lines horizontal resolution.

I have the Sony KV-34HS420 and rumor has it that it has approx. 850 of horizontal resolution. The Sony XS/XBR series' are reported to have 1,440 lines of horizontal resolution.

Vegeta

08-21-05, 04:17 PM

So sitting about 6-8 feet away, would I notice the difference in pic quality between a 800 line HDTV and a 1440 line HDTV?

justsc

08-22-05, 10:58 AM

So sitting about 6-8 feet away, would I notice the difference in pic quality between a 800 line HDTV and a 1440 line HDTV?
I don't think so. Maybe one of the XS/XBR owners can chime in here. I have not spent enough time in front of one of those sets at that distance to give you an absolute yes or no.

xgrep

08-22-05, 11:33 AM

Samsung states in the on-line data sheet that these sets have a maximum of 800 lines horizontal resolution.

I have the Sony KV-34HS420 and rumor has it that it has approx. 850 of horizontal resolution. The Sony XS/XBR series' are reported to have 1,440 lines of horizontal resolution.I reported earlier in this thread that I measured the horizontal lines of the Slimfit at approx 500 in the corners. This is not HD, nor even SD.

What I meant by "true HD" display is one that actually delivers 1280 horizontal lines or more at all points on the screen. The best CRTs do this, as do the better flatpanels, DLPs, etc.

It probably isn't critically important for gaming, but obviously is for use as a computer display (you couldn't read the characters otherwise).

x

xgrep

08-22-05, 11:43 AM

So sitting about 6-8 feet away, would I notice the difference in pic quality between a 800 line HDTV and a 1440 line HDTV?Mostly, you wouldn't, or it would be very subtle, at most. You'd easily see it with a test pattern, but I'm the only person I know who watches test patterns for enjoyment (I timeshift the weather channel, too).

x

justsc

08-22-05, 11:51 AM

I reported earlier in this thread that I measured the horizontal lines of the Slimfit at approx 500 in the corners. This is not HD, nor even SD.

What I meant by "true HD" display is one that actually delivers 1280 horizontal lines or more at all points on the screen. The best CRTs do this, as do the better flatpanels, DLPs, etc.

It probably isn't critically important for gaming, but obviously is for use as a computer display (you couldn't read the characters otherwise).

x
The poster was talking about horizontal resolution, not horizontal lines. This really isn't that hard to grasp, is it?

What you have "measured" is irrelevant to the discussion.

1,280 lines or "more?" Like I said, this is about horizontal resolution. This means the vertical lines running across the display. Vertical resolution has to do with horizontal lines running up and down the display. COMMERCIAL HD SETS DO NOT HAVE MORE THAN 1,080 LINES OF VERTICAL RESOLUTION. Your measurement technique is flawed.

Try taking this sorry old argument elsewhere. :rolleyes: